Ford_News
09-16-2011, 06:21 PM
Filed under: Government/Legal (http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/), Marketing/Advertising (http://www.autoblog.com/category/marketing-advertising/), Videos (http://www.autoblog.com/category/videos/), Chrysler (http://www.autoblog.com/category/chrysler/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), GM (http://www.autoblog.com/category/gm/), Earnings/Financials (http://www.autoblog.com/category/earnings-financials/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/09/ford-press-conference-chris.jpg (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued)
Back in 2009, at the absolute lowest point in the history of the American automobile industry, Chrysler (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/30/obama-announces-chrysler-bankruptcy-consummated-deal-with-fiat/) and General Motors (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/01/officially-official-gm-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/) declared bankruptcy. The United States government set up a cabinet-level group called The Presidential Task Force On The Auto Industry was formed to allow the government to handle the courtroom proceedings (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/bailout/) that would end up allowing the two automotive giants the opportunity to get back on their feet.
Though Ford (http://autoblog.com/ford) did not declare bankruptcy or accept any governmental oversight, the Blue Oval did, in a show of solidarity, stand beside its Detroit-born brothers (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/12/best-of-the-autoblog-speech-bubble-comics/) in Senate hearings and offered verbal support to both GM and Chrysler. It seems that goodwill only went so far, however and now that its two American siblings are churning out healthier balance sheets, the gloves are officially off.
As you can see in the video after the jump (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued), Ford has created a new television commercial as part of its "Drive One: Press Conference" series that casts a somewhat critical eye on the U.S. automotive bailout of 2009. (It's at this point we'd be remiss if we didn't also mention that in the midst of the auto crisis, the Blue Oval accepted billions in very low-interest technology loans from the U.S. government, as did other automakers).
Despite the fact that Chris, the star of the advert, is not a Ford employee but a real Ford truck owner, and that the ad was apparently filmed without a script, Ford's airing of the commercial more than suggests it approves of the message therein. In his own words, here's what Chris had to say when asked if buying American was important to him:
I wasn't going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government. I was going to buy from a manufacturer that's standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That's what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta' pick yourself up and go back to work. Ford is that company for me.
Now that you've watched the video after the break (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued), the question is, how effective is this ad? Do you like it, hate it or are you indifferent? Is it a good message or is it a cheap shot at GM and Chrysler? Feel free to sound off in the comments, but first, take a moment to add your voice to our informal poll.
View Poll (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#poll69114)
Continue reading AdSpotting: New Ford commercial slams auto bailout [w/poll] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/)
AdSpotting: New Ford commercial slams auto bailout [w/poll] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20045018/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/09/ford-press-conference-chris.jpg (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued)
Back in 2009, at the absolute lowest point in the history of the American automobile industry, Chrysler (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/30/obama-announces-chrysler-bankruptcy-consummated-deal-with-fiat/) and General Motors (http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/01/officially-official-gm-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/) declared bankruptcy. The United States government set up a cabinet-level group called The Presidential Task Force On The Auto Industry was formed to allow the government to handle the courtroom proceedings (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/bailout/) that would end up allowing the two automotive giants the opportunity to get back on their feet.
Though Ford (http://autoblog.com/ford) did not declare bankruptcy or accept any governmental oversight, the Blue Oval did, in a show of solidarity, stand beside its Detroit-born brothers (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/12/best-of-the-autoblog-speech-bubble-comics/) in Senate hearings and offered verbal support to both GM and Chrysler. It seems that goodwill only went so far, however and now that its two American siblings are churning out healthier balance sheets, the gloves are officially off.
As you can see in the video after the jump (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued), Ford has created a new television commercial as part of its "Drive One: Press Conference" series that casts a somewhat critical eye on the U.S. automotive bailout of 2009. (It's at this point we'd be remiss if we didn't also mention that in the midst of the auto crisis, the Blue Oval accepted billions in very low-interest technology loans from the U.S. government, as did other automakers).
Despite the fact that Chris, the star of the advert, is not a Ford employee but a real Ford truck owner, and that the ad was apparently filmed without a script, Ford's airing of the commercial more than suggests it approves of the message therein. In his own words, here's what Chris had to say when asked if buying American was important to him:
I wasn't going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government. I was going to buy from a manufacturer that's standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That's what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta' pick yourself up and go back to work. Ford is that company for me.
Now that you've watched the video after the break (http://www.mnfords.com/2011/09/16/new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#continued), the question is, how effective is this ad? Do you like it, hate it or are you indifferent? Is it a good message or is it a cheap shot at GM and Chrysler? Feel free to sound off in the comments, but first, take a moment to add your voice to our informal poll.
View Poll (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#poll69114)
Continue reading AdSpotting: New Ford commercial slams auto bailout [w/poll] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/)
AdSpotting: New Ford commercial slams auto bailout [w/poll] (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20045018/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/16/adspotting-new-ford-commercial-slams-auto-bailout-w-poll/)