Cadillac files a trademark in the Philippines—A signal for the luxury brand’s entry?

Cadillac, one of the most prestigious and sought-after brands in the United States and internationally, has just filed a trademark application for its logo and name for the Philippine market, at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). 

The trademark application is now pending, and the file indicates that one of the big American names in luxury automobiles is coming to the Philippines. The application came from General Motors, the parent behind the Cadillac brand around the world. Filed on April 2, 2023, the current status is now pending, but will likely be approved sometime in the year, at least by our guess. 

Trademark filings aren’t sure-ball indicators that a brand is coming to the Philippines. It could just be another form of protection for the name and rights of the company. General Motors holds all the rights to the trade name, Cadillac, and this could just be a form of protection for the brand in the country. 

However, there is a rather niche market for the Cadillac brand here in the Philippines, but the market is only populated by grey market suppliers. The American brand has yet to make its presence officially felt in the Philippines, but this trademark filing could be an indication of that. Should Cadillac come to the Philippines, however, the brand will be up against a lot of stiff competition from BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and perhaps the filing could also spur Ford to consider the Lincoln brand for the country. 

It’s not certain whether Cadillac will come to the Philippines just yet, but the application also indicates that the trademark will be used for “motor land vehicles, namely automobiles, sport utility vehicles, trucks, vans, engines therefor and structural parts thereof in class 12.” What seals the deal for us is the inclusion of “maintenance and repair services for motor vehicles,” which begs the question, is Cadillac coming?