Ford Does The 'Pepsi Challenge'; Should GM Follow?

[Perian]

Link: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...701040347/1148


Ford retools marketing plan for Fusion and truck lineup

Feel-good campaign with focus on Americana falls flat, so automaker shifts to competitive tone. Sometimes bold isn't bold enough.

Ford launched its Bold Moves advertising and image campaign last year with a series of touchy-feely ads that featured images of Americana such as a father teaching his son to drive and a mother and daughter jumping into a mountain lake. Ford even made sure the stars of the ad looked like "regular" people. But some dealers and critics complained it was the ads themselves that seemed a little "regular."

So Ford is headed back to the drawing board with a pair of TV spots it plans to show off today. One will show customers test driving a Ford Fusion midsize sedan along with rivals like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The motorists choose the Fusion. The ads are modeled after the famous "Pepsi Challenge" ads.

Ford marketing officials believe the Fusion has the credibility to make such a claim after its recent praise from Consumer Reports and others.

Ford spokesman Jim Cain would not discuss the new ad campaign, but said it's important to let consumers know that the Fusion is standing out from the crowd.

"If you had as many third-party accolades as we do for Fusion, you would be crazy not use it," Cain said.

The other ad touts Ford's truck leadership, pointing out that the F-Series pickup was America's best-selling vehicle again in 2006. Ford is emphasizing its truck leadership as it competes with new pickups by General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp.

"It's a different tone," said one Ford insider. "They are very expressive and in your face."

The ads also answer criticism from dealers that some Ford ads were heavy on feel-good imagery and light on details and attributes of vehicles.

Full article at link.

[Perian]

Theme of the day: In Your Face.

This works for me.

Why not get the product out to the consumer?

Hello American Revolution people...

.

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

I agree that auto ads should advertise THE PRODUCT - not some touchy, feeling concept.

The worst Ford television ad that I have seen recently is the one where the "bold" woman pays for the drycleaning of the man waiting behind her in a Mustang at the drive-up window. What a stupid commercial. It does not tell the viewer ANYTHING about the car product.

Get back to basics - tell the viewer / consumer positive features of the product!

[Media!]

Great!


Ford by far, had the worst advertising of any automotive manufacture for the part of the last decade.

These sound like where Ford needs to go in their advertising................but I will see them before I give them anymore props on this.

[gotz_otto]

I am not sure if I like that idea. I feel if you cannot promote your own vehicle or any other product without attacking another brand in some form or another your product must not be that good in the first place. It just seems to makes it look weaker to me.

I hope it works for them at least.

Toyota's adds make it seem like they make the world better some how and they focus on their cars alone.

The link did not work for me.

[likearock00]

Originally Posted by 1999 White C5 Coupe

I agree that auto ads should advertise THE PRODUCT - not some touchy, feeling concept.

The worst Ford television ad that I have seen recently is the one where the "bold" woman pays for the drycleaning of the man waiting behind her in a Mustang at the drive-up window. What a stupid commercial. It does not tell the viewer ANYTHING about the car product.

Get back to basics - tell the viewer / consumer positive features of the product!

A agree, but the dumbest one was the freestyle commercial with the parents divorced and after the day together, they drop his ass off on a corner.

Ford and Chevy need to have some commercials that show how much better they are now. Give some interior pics, and for crying out loud, get rid of shooting these commercials like you are right outside the corperate office. They look too generic and boring. And I don't want to see any attractive 0% or $7000 rebates either!!

[GotAWD]

Sounds like a good advertising campaign to me. just dont know why GM didnt come up with this.

[SDRacing]

Reminds me of the the "apples vs oranges" truck commercials they did back in the 80's. (the Ford vs Chevy)

[General STL]

Yeah, this really is a great idea. I too wonder why GM hasn't done this. I mean, it only makes since that comparing your product to the competitions, while highlighting the positive attributes that your product has over the competitions, will make consumers consider your product. Given the strong favor that most Americans place on foreign cars, ads of this type are needed to make people rethink their "lemming" mentality of buying a toyohondassan just because it's Asian.

[GM-Joe]

Stand up to them face to face, that's accountablity, that is what America is all about.

[CrunkedRL]

In the past Hyundai has used this typed of agressive advertising through head-t- head comparisons and it seems to have helped boost their sells; touting their low prices and high value. Now however some of their cars are just as expensive as Toyondas. I used to relish the "We Build Excitement commercials for Pontiac. I think when GM finally re-invent the excitement at Pontiac they should re-introduce them. But great effort by Ford though I never understand how the warm fuzzy ads complemented theit "Bold Moves" image. If anything the two contradicted each other.

[CountryME]

I can see the Honda and Toyota response ads now.

Toyota/Honda has better quality/reliability/durability/more cars on the road/etc. than ford per "enter pinko commie car publication here"

[minnfang]

Originally Posted by Perian

The ads also answer criticism from dealers that some Ford ads were heavy on feel-good imagery and light on details and attributes of vehicles.

No kidding! The Edge TV ad that I've seen has it driving around on the sides of buildings and doesn't tell you anything about the vehicle. Why bother developing a new 3.5L engine and 6-speed tranny if you're not going to tell anyone about it?

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by 1999 White C5 Coupe

I agree that auto ads should advertise THE PRODUCT - not some touchy, feeling concept.

The worst Ford television ad that I have seen recently is the one where the "bold" woman pays for the drycleaning of the man waiting behind her in a Mustang at the drive-up window. What a stupid commercial. It does not tell the viewer ANYTHING about the car product.

Get back to basics - tell the viewer / consumer positive features of the product!

I agree! Product! Product! Product!

I am leary of ads that compare your product with another brand - especially since other brands may have a superior reputation to yours. The last GM ad I saw that compared products had the Chevy Equinox (which I am a owner of one, incidentally) up against the Lexus RX330! I love my Equinox, but oh my!

[rsbaker]

Originally Posted by CrunkedRL

In the past Hyundai has used this typed of agressive advertising through head-t- head comparisons and it seems to have helped boost their sells; touting their low prices and high value. Now however some of their cars are just as expensive as Toyondas. I used to relish the "We Build Excitement" commercials for Pontiac. I think when they finally reinvent the excitement at Pontiac they should re-introduce them.

That brings back a lot of memories:

"We Build Excitement"
"Get that Oldsmobile Feel"
"Wouldn't you really rather Drive a Buick"
"See the USA in you Chevrolet"
"Baseball ,Hot dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet"
"Citation Excitation"
"There's Ford In your Future"
"Get M.P.G!... More Pontiac to the Gallon"
"Cutlass Supreme. Feel the Power!"
"Get your Mercury at the sign of the Cat"

If anyone else can remember more of them please post them.