Amelia Island, FL -- The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, now in its 24th year, is not a classic car auction -- those occur earlier in the week, with most of the big players participating.  It’s a celebration of the best of the best in the world of vintage automobiles, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many commercial tie-ins.  It’s an expensive show to put on, with an effort to maximize the return for the charities that are the non-profit events’ benefactors.

Deborah Wahl, who took over as Cadillac’s marketing chief a year ago, came over from the Golden Arches.  If a resume that includes McDonald’s and the home builder Pulte sounds unusual for a top spot in the auto industry, keep in mind that Wahl also had marketing positions at Chrysler (as it was known then), Toyota/Lexus, Mazda and Ford.

"I'm not sure if we ever did Super Bowl ads," says Bob Jacobs, Vice President of Brand, Product and Communications at Volvo for the Americas.  And because the Swedish automaker doesn't choose to appear in America's biggest advertising showcase (a combination of avoiding the expense and "wanting to do things differently") it is free to pursue alternatives.