Leading Advertisers: Part 4. Ford

The fourth focus for our Leading Advertisers serial is Ford.Ford: Getting betterThe American manufacturer has not had the most successful advertisements in the past, which may come as a surprise bearing in mind the popularity of the likes of the Mondeo, Fiesta and Focus in the UK.As a result you’ve got to scratch a little deeper to find some of Ford’s better attempts, but that doesn’t mean they’re worth ignoring.Ford Focus ad- Nov. 2009: A quick search for this advert on YouTube and you’ll find the general theme of comments focuses solely on the music for this advert. And they’d be right.The advert is supposed to symbolise the idea of attraction so the lights and shapes created are supposed to represent things we’re attracted to and draw our attention such as Marilyn Monroe and a theatre stage.Great. Not however, as good as the music which is one of the only plus points for this advert.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4oYH-9WDIBeautifully arranged: The next advert is a little more interesting. It is almost Honda-like which can only be a good thing.The advert is supposed to show that a car, like an orchestra is so much better when all its parts come together. If we’re being honest though, symbolism doesn’t rank too highly when watching the advert, it’s good because the instruments are made of actual car parts, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DoOwziVoMU&feature=relatedPuma-McQueen: This advert cleverly uses CGI technology to get Steve McQueen (a.k.a. Frank Bullitt) driving the Ford Puma and not only that, he shuns the Mustang Fastback in favour of the 90’s coupe.It’s shocking actually that it took so long for Ford to wheel out the McQueen/Bullit link bearing in mind the iconic status of the film and the car chase but it was worth the wait (Ford subsequently released a number of commemorative Bullit GT’s).A simple idea well done; the Puma’s better than the Mustang and a motorbike that was able to outrun Hitler and his cronies.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2OV7Zz4VsMCougar-Hopper: Ford has cracked out another celeb this time in the form of Dennis Hopper.Easyrider was as iconic a film as Bullitt was but unfortunately the Cougar was not as successful as the Puma and neither is this advert.It’s a base and obvious attempt by Ford to grab the middle aged male by the ‘plums’ and throw him back into his youth via the happy medium of a Ford Cougar.Old Hopper and Cougar Vs Young Hopper and motorbike: Old Hopper wins and he’s driving a Cougar.Get it?The message of the older man recouping his youth is only exaggerated by the memories of Dad’s air-guitaring , ties strapped around their heads, with the middle-aged soundtrack by Steppenwolf in the background.Not a great one.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie2oRTkE6rIFiesta-This is now: What we’ve already found out is that Ford is not good at gimmicky adverts (with the exception of Steve McQueen) but they are getting better at the more stylish and modern ones, as is the case here.The advert works along the premise that the new Fiesta has a wealth of technology and multimedia and you can almost imagine the marketing team brainstorming this one:Marketing agent 1 -“What has the Fiesta got?"Marketing agent 2 – “Lots of gadgets."Marketing agent 1 – “Should we go with that then?"Marketing agent 2 – “Yes, but how?"Marketing agent 1 – “How about... we put that multimedia on wheels?"*Round of applause*That’s essentially it but it’s been done in a stylish manner with a funky soundtrack that shows the Fiesta as current and urban, and representative of the global direction of Ford’s new ‘One’ design platform.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87nDEUscky8Kuga-Blank Canvas: See; Ford is getting better.If we ignore the fact that the advert is either completely misinformed or in denial about the wealth of other compact-SUV’s on the market, it’s actually quite a good idea.The population wakes up to find the world covered in a blank canvas and therefore open to fresh new interpretations, like a compact SUV.The advert again benefits from a jaunty piece of music that is somewhat more memorable than the advert itself but possibly the most astonishing feature is that not one of the over eager actors has drawn an immature doodle.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N89vmob3f7kS-Max –Birds: There are a couple of highlights in this advert including a group of birds on a skateboard and the closing shot of a tumbling sparrow. But you can’t help but feel that Ford bottled it at the top of the escalator...It is again a relatively simple idea that likens a bird without wings to a human without a Ford.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNg4utpui-EMondeo-Desire: We’re going to close on quite a good advert from Ford that shows a plethora of clapped out cars being lifted into the atmosphere with only the Mondeo left behind.The message is simple as usual: a Mondeo is the only car worth keeping.It’s quite an involving advert that encourages a swift game of spot the banger and it’s beautifully shot.Once again Ford’s sound producer has done a sterling job in selecting a troublesome piano piece made famous in Donnie Darko.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W34du_uVXl4