Ford shifts toward purpose in latest ‘Built Ford Proud’ installment

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by Samuel Pordengerg Mar 22, 2023 News
Ford shifts toward purpose in latest ‘Built Ford Proud’ installment
  • Ford Motor Company is launching its latest campaign under its “Built Ford Proud” tagline, the first of its kind for the carmaker in three years, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. 
  • The effort, meant to spotlight Ford drivers and their passions, includes partnerships with actor Sydney Sweeney, stunt driver Dee Bryant and surfer Kai Lenny, who each will appear in individual ad spots and launch separate initiatives connecting Ford to their interests.
  • Made in collaboration with agency partners Wieden+Kennedy New York, Artemis, Mindshare, VML and BBDO, activations will span social media, connected TV and broadcast, limited-edition merchandise and CRM content. The move signals a shift by Ford to integrate more emotionally driven tactics into its marketing.
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    If CPGs can adeptly adjust to emerging mandates, they have an opportunity to strengthen their brands.  

  • Ford is shifting away from its traditional tactics under the "Built Ford Proud" slogan to focus more on the people behind the wheel and the causes they support.

    In order to have unique ties to the Ford brand, partnerships with Sweeney, Bryant and Lenny were selected. Her passion for restoring vintage Ford vehicles, which she highlights in her TikTok channel, led to her being hired. She is raising her platform at a time when only a small percentage of mechanics are women. Sweeney will host an auto 101 TikTok series on her channel and will also debut her female focused workwear collection made in collaboration with Dickies.

    Bryant, who has appeared in previous Ford commercials, is going to start a social media series. The founder of the Association of Women Drivers is an African American woman who uses her platform to fight inequality. A final partnership with big wave surfer Lenny, who uses Ford's F-Series trucks to haul equipment, will yield a line of limited-edition surfboards. The Positively Kai Foundation will receive eight surfboards from the collection.

    Ford and other recent efforts highlight underrepresented groups. The Ford Explorer Men's Only Edition was released at the beginning of March to coincide with Women's History month. During February, the company shared content on social media. The company recently filed to trademark the slogan "Built Ford Proud."

    Others in the auto landscape have taken similar actions as Ford pivots its messaging to include more emotionally driven messaging. The story of a dad rushing to recover a forgotten pacifier is the subject of a recent ad for the Telluride X- Pro. Ad spend in the auto industry is one of the only sectors to not be impacted by an ongoing marketing slowdown, with the category seeing spend grow 9% year-over-year in January.