LAUNCH

On March 31, the eve of the 2015 New York International Auto Show's first media day, Cadillac premiered its new flagship CT6 sedan at the Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Produced by Jack Morton Worldwide and Aquila Productions, the vehicle reveal portion featured a mechanized clamshell structure made of individual faceted pieces to create dimension.

Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen gave introductory remarks on the CT6 sedan, laying out his brand's new vision and direction. Projecting mapping against six large areas allowed his words to be complemented by crisp, large images that could easily be seen from any vantage point in the 35,000-square-foot space.

Set designer Stefan Beckman created the "Abstract City" skyscape as a symbol of Manhattan being Cadillac's new global home. The panels, which ranged in height from 20 to 25 feet and widths from 20 to 65 feet, were painted muslin stretched onto hard frames. "We talked about white as a fresh start," said Beckman of the choice of color—or lack thereof. "It was a clean, modern approach to Cadillac and where they are going."

As part of Cadillac's relaunch, the brand debuted a brand-new all-white booth template that will be applied at all auto shows going forward. "We debuted the stand in New York because we wanted this whole week to culminate as the coming out for the brand," said Melody Lee, Cadillac's director of brand strategy.

Every single element of the set at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, down to the bar stools and tables, was custom built for the occasion. A significant departure from the angular black and white booths from past show seasons, the new stand soars as it wraps around the vehicle—an idea of expressed reinvention. The iris, which was also seen at the CT6 reveal event, amplified the storytelling thanks to a full-scale LED video wall that allowed for incredibly rich detail shots to be displayed.

Cadillac's effort was perhaps the most visible—and brightest—of all the auto show sets at the Javits Center, with hundreds of metal vertical slats forming the outer layer of the main stage iris. Directly adjacent to the glass-topped stage and bar-cum-lounge area was a massive wall featuring the Piet Mondrian-esque patterned Cadillac crest, the electrochromic glass composition of which changed its opacity throughout the day to pre-set choreography.