ESCALADE MAKERS SERIES

She’s inspired by architecture, like “what you see looking up at a building in New York City.” It’s why the tail lamps on Escalade stretch a staggering three feet tall and have been coined “skyscraper” lights. Though their size was initially controversial, designers agreed the lamps define Escalade—and delivered them in a stunning, tapered form.

She finds working on Escalade both a challenge and an honour—particularly the opportunity to design its first-ever Sport trim, giving an already powerful character a more sinister mood. It’s athletic, aggressive and bound to turn heads. And it’s what she sees herself in.

Joanne says Cadillac leadership wanted to offer Escalade customers this groundbreaking technology from the start. Everything else had to work around it. It was a bold, purposeful decision to revolutionize the driver’s experience. The world is heading toward technology at every touch. The way you interact with your vehicle should be no different.

But OLED was not achieved without challenges. For example, the team engineered a special light control film so the display could stand proudly without reflecting light onto the windshield. It had to be executed perfectly. From full-cluster AR Navigation^† to crisp and colourful album art, what Escalade places at your fingertips, you won’t find anywhere else.

Of all the hats Phil wears, Creative is his favourite. “I keep art at the core. It’s my personal philosophy.” He draws every single day, and he studies modern sculpture and the shapes and forms of paintings for inspiration. It helps him think in 3D and solve for the tricky areas of an interface.

A degree in industrial design also helps Phil make “beautiful things in an industrial way.” Cut and sewn materials fit Escalade like well-tailored clothing, millimeters-thin blade lighting elevates the ambiance, and laser-etched patterns are small surprises you’ll discover down the road. Phil and his team made sure to fret the details, because…

Marty has worked with car audio since the age of 15, when his older brother spent a frustrating afternoon attempting to install new equipment. Marty had it done in 30 minutes. “After that, I was hooked,” he remembers. That’s good news, considering Marty and his team conducted 42 separate vehicle tunings to perfect the sound.

AKG has been the music industry’s favourite microphone since 1947. As experts in high fidelity and industry-leading technology, it’s only fitting their first automotive venture is with Escalade. “There’s synergy between the Cadillac brand and AKG as far as the level of detail and attention that’s paid to every aspect of the user experience,” Marty emphasizes. Sounds like the perfect partnership.

That’s why Michelle studied social media for inspiration, finding self-made people with a taste for earned luxury. What do their homes and handbags look like? How does that premium experience translate to a vehicle? Each trim persona is vastly different, yet distinctly Cadillac. She wants you to pick a favourite.

What Michelle finds remarkable is the victory in variety. Every single interior persona she presented to leadership on day one was achieved. She recalls admiring the imagery, woods and colours on the design wall and knowing Escalade could be executed no other way. Because “Escalade is the benchmark. This sets the standard for how we see Cadillac.”

A father of three, David says the evolution of Escalade feels “like watching a fourth child grow up.” Under his watch, Escalade has been number one in the segment for 15 of its 21 years of life in the US market. But you don’t stay at the top by resting on laurels, and he can confidently say this next generation of Escalade competes head-on with anything in the market.

He lists a few crowning achievements: the record level of design execution, industry-defining technology like available Super Cruise^™ driver assistance feature^† and curved OLED display, exclusive AKG^®† sound systems and improved third-row leg room. That’s the beauty of what David describes as the “catch all” role of product manager. He gets to be excited about everything.