Cars
In 1968, Mary Kay Ash purchased the first Pink Cadillac, where it was repainted on site, by the dealership owner, to match the Mountain Laurel Blush in the compact. It was such a good rolling advertisement that Mary Kay Ash decided to reward her top five producers, by providing them with a Pink Cadillac paid for by the company in 1969. Pink was an obvious color choice, matching the company's eye and lip color palettes. Since 1980, the shade used by the Mary Kay fleet has been exclusive to Mary Kay. Every two years, a Director or National Director (often referred to simply as a "National") can requalify for a new Cadillac. When the two year lease has expired, the cars are repainted, prior to being auctioned off. The shade of pink has changed over the years. In 1998, the color was changed to "pearlized pink". In honor of its 35th anniversary, the Mary Kay edition, white GMC Jimmy sport utility vehicle was offered in the United States. In 2007, top Independent Sales Directors can still earn the coveted pink Cadillac.
In the United States, the 2006 vehicle choice consisted of a Pontiac Vibe, Pontiac Grand Prix or a Cadillac. A Mary Kay director that qualifies for a car may choose from a Cadillac DTS, a Cadillac CTS, or a Cadillac SRX. In 2007 the offered cars were Saturn Vue, Pontiac G6, Pontiac Vibe, Cadillac CTS, and Saturn Aura.
In 2009 GM announced it would be discontinuing the Saturn and Pontiac lines, forcing Mary Kay to choose new choices for Directors and Consultants to earn. Independent Beauty Consultants can earn the use of a Smokey Platinum Chevy Malibu or cash compensation of $375 a month. Independent Sales Directors can choose a Silver Toyota Camry, Chevy Equinox, or $500 a month. Top Independent Sales Directors can choose between the Pink Cadillac DTS, Cadillac CTS, or cash option of $900 a month.
In 2005 the GM (USA) fleet size was 9,870.
In the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Ukraine, the car is a pink Mercedes-Benz. In Argentina, one receives a pink Ford, while in Taiwan, it is a pink Toyota. In Australia, one gets to choose between a Ford Falcon, or Volkswagen Beetle. In China, the vehicle is a pink Volkswagen Santana. In the Nordic countries you receive a pink Volvo V50.
The specific qualifications for earning the car depend upon the country, and vehicle that is desired. If those qualifications are not met, then the Car Driver has to pay for a portion of the lease of the car for that month. Meeting the qualifications entitles the Car Driver to pay no monthly lease and 85% of the car insurance, or a pre-determined cash compensation award.
Since the program's inception, more than 100,000 Independent sales force members have qualified for the use of a Career Car or elected the cash compensation option. It is not known how many Directors select the cash option in lieu of the car, but GM estimates that it has built 100,000 pink Cadillacs for Mary Kay.
For 2012 the cars available are the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota Camry, and the Cadillac CTS, SRX & Escalade Hybrid as well as a newcomer. At the annual Mary Kay convention in Dallas in July 2011, executives announced that new, 2012 model-year Ford Mustang painted in black will become available as an incentive to keep the company’s salespeople productive.
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Famous quotes containing the word cars:
“What our children have to fear is not the cars on the highways of tomorrow but our own pleasure in calculating the most elegant parameters of their deaths.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“When, at rare intervals, some thought visits one, as perchance he is walking on a railroad, then, indeed, the cars go by without his hearing them. But soon, by some inexorable law, our life goes by and the cars return.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“For I could not read or speak and on the long nights I could not turn the moon off or count the lights of cars across the ceiling.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)