Chasing customers; BMW and Cadillac take dramatic license.(Brief Article)

In the spirit of Bullitt, BMW and Cadillac are getting into the chase film business. Both automakers are using chase-based sell jobs to woo buyers, but their contrasting approaches to the same concept are as dissimilar as their product offerings.

Cadillac, in a bid to raise its relevance with European import buyers, tech-savvy younger customers and women, is relying on tried-and-true 30- and 60-second television spots to boost the stock of its redesigned Escalade sport/utility vehicle. At the same time, BMW-one of the worldwide luxury brands with which Cadillac aspires to compete-is reaching out to a similar demographic with short film vignettes shown exclusively on its Internet website.

Since 85 percent of people interest-ed in its cars log on to the Internet for information, BMW theorizes that these are ostensibly smart and busy people who might like a little entertainment while they're browsing. To get their attention, BMW is using well-known directors like John Frankenheimer (Ronin, Grand Prix, The Manchurian Candidate), Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Mr. Madonna, Guy Ritchie (Snatch), to film five- to seven-minute ...