03-01-07: So does anyone really relate to “Bold Moves” ? Do you think to yourself, “If I buy a Ford, I will be bold?” Or rather to you think buying a ford is a “Bold Move”. Chances are the answers to the questions are no.
Ford today announced that it is expanding a new marketing initiative that builds on the “Fusion Challenge” ad campaigns which focus more on the car’s features, performance, and how those attributes compare to its competition. Bold? No, but smart.
The expanded marketing push will now include the Ford F-Series trucks and the Expedition XL. New advertising spots and commercials will tell how the vehicles beat competition from Chevrolet for example who just rolled out all new redesigned trucks.
The F-150 will get a campaign of new commercials featuring Mike Rowe, creator and star of Discovery Channel’s highly rated show “Dirty Jobs” will start in new commercials that will point out the nuts and bolts features of the F-150 that make it more superior to the competition.
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The spots push many the “man buttons” that Toyota has been exploiting with their new Tundra commercials where the larger, beefier parts of the truck like brakes, gears, transmissions are compared to the wimpy looking ones of competitors. Competing head to head on these points is going to be key for Ford, as the new trucks from both Toyota and GM and formidable.
In the new TV spots, Rowe explores the dirty side of earning an honest living. In the first, titled “Boxed,” viewers will see Rowe at a campground where the Ford F-150 easily tows an 11,000 pound trailer, while it takes two trucks from the competition to pull the same load.
In the second spot, “Leaf Spring,” Rowe is at a landscaping site helping a crew load massive amounts of landscaping material into the bed of the F-150. The F-Series is the only truck in its class that can carry 3,050 pounds, 890 pounds more than its closest competitor. The new F-150 commercials begin airing nationally this weekend. Rowe will also appear in print and digital ads.
In combination with the ad campaign a number of new incentive programs will be offered on the Ford Challenge vehicles including an attractive lease special for the Fusion starting at $249 a month. The F-Series and Expedition will have a palette of low interest loan programs and customer cash incentives.
The new tact in Ford’s advertising is announced on the same day that Ford had to fess up to another month over month sales drop of 13% for February. Dealers have been grumbling about the touchy feely “Bold Moves” ad campaign almost since day one because it focused on lifestyles of “target demographics” instead of selling cars.
You can see more at www.FordChallenge.com
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