Cadillacs and Great Britain “Standard of the World”
If you drew up a list of the top 10 most recognisable American brand names – Coca-Cola, Holiday Inn, McDonald’s and so on – it is likely that Cadillac would feature fairly near the top of that list. But America’s gold-plated, diamond-studded, luxury automotive status symbol has a surprisingly English heritage connected to its famous sales slogan, ‘Standard of the World’. During the Forties and Fifties, Cadillac’s advertising agency had taken to using the Standard of the World slogan on neon signs, billboards and dealership displays, as well as in brochures and national advertising copy. But if it hadn’t been for a far-sighted and enterprising young entrepreneur in London, named Frederick S Bennett, that slogan might never have been used.
To further enhance the test, members of the RAC Committee took some random parts away. Those
