I say "new" because US News and World Report picked up on it today, but I see the youtube video was uploaded in May -- so there's a chance this spot has been airing for months. Ford's broader "Drive One" campaign has been active for some time, of course. If you've watched virtually any sporting event recently, you're probably familiar with the format: An unsuspecting Ford driver is led into a room filled with "journalists," and an impromptu faux-press conference ensues. According to US News' Paul Bedard, the answers are completely unscripted, which makes this even more glorious:
Sort of makes you want to run out and test drive a Ford F-150, doesn't it? This is a nice bit of positioning by the top non-bailed out US automaker. With GM and Chrysler running ads about how patriotic and resilient they are, Ford's ad team lets a real person explain why angry taxpayers (who are out billions) might consider rewarding the company for eschewing a federal hand-out. Bedard's headline suggests this ad could be construed as an attack on the Obama administration. The implicit question: Is it risky for a major American company to run something of a partisan commercial? I'm not so sure. Even though the auto bailout may be associated with Obama -- and his crew certainly behaved brutishly during the second round of bailouts -- let's not forget that round one came on President Bush's watch.
In any case, three cheers for Ford and the free market. Fantastic, provocative ad. Competition, baby.
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