Struggling Ford Says, “Swap My Ride” - September 4th, 2007
Blame those old Folger’s ads for the newest innovation in automotive advertising. Ford Motor Co., which was surpassed by Toyota this year as number two in American vehicle sales, is offering a new ad campaign which begins airing today: Swap My Ride.
Named to evoke a similarly titled MTV show, Ford’s new ads feature new-car owners who were asked to swap their just-purchased vehicles with Fords for a week, and offer their unbiased opinions. In an effort to conceal their identity from the drivers solicited, Ford even created a fake market-research company to serve as a point of contact, and operate the campaign.
Toby Barlow, co-president and executive creative director at Ford’s creative agency, JWT Team Detroit, told the New York Times, “We wanted raw, unbiased opinions. We didn’t want them to think they were in a TV commercial. We needed a trick to get real objectivity and honest responses.”
In addition to television spots featuring sound bites like one man asking if he can keep the Ford he’s been testing, FordChallenge.com has been launched, and will include video, blogs, and other testimonials from drivers who participated.
Posted on September 4th, 2007 by QueenMab
Filed under: business & advertising |
