Cadillac has appointed Publicis Worldwide as its global creative agency to help re-position the marque as a “truly global luxury brand”.

Detroit-based Lowe Campbell Ewald had previously held the account, estimated to be worth around $280m, since mid-2013.

The move comes as part of a wider plan to build Cadillac’s reputation as a global luxury brand. Uwe Ellinghaus, chief marketing officer at the company and former marketing executive with German luxury automaker BMW, said last year that the process could take up to as long as a decade to achieve.

Ellinghaus said: “This appointment is designed to accelerate the global expansion and elevation of Cadillac into a truly global luxury brand.

“We have spent much of this year refocusing on the core values of our brand. Adding Publicis Worldwide to our team —with its undisputed expertise in luxury brand building — will further our progress globally.”

Ellinghaus added: “We sincerely appreciate the dedication and service the Lowe team has brought to our brand. The agency has aided Cadillac in a time of transition and contributed significantly to the development of its brand positioning.”

Arthur Sadoun, chief executive of Publicis Worldwide, said: “For us, this appointment is an honour and a privilege. We will work passionately with the client leadership team to strengthen the power of the Cadillac brand.”

Lowe Campbell Ewald had handled Chevrolet’s advertising for 91 years before the brand moved its account in 2010 to Publicis.