USA TODAY International Edition
Ford planning Super Bowl ad
90- second ad is engine for ‘ mobility’ initiative
Ford’s bet on reinventing its image among American consumers is ramping up with a major ad airing immediately before Super Bowl LI and a new hotspot for tourists and locals in New York.
The Dearborn, Mich.- based automaker will air a 90- second commercial immediately before kickoff Sunday on Fox, Ford U. S. marketing director Chantel Lenard told USA TODAY. The ad is paired with the opening of a 2,900- square- foot experiential exhibit at the Westfield World Trade Center.
Lenard says both initiatives are designed to highlight the company’s bid to remake itself as a provider of “transportation solutions” instead of just a vehicle manufacturer.
The auto industry is bracing for sweeping change as self- driving cars paired with ride- hailing apps may eventually present an alternative to car ownership and public transportation.
Ford is “trying to stay ahead of what they see on the horizon,” AutoPacific analyst Dave Sullivan said in an email.
Ford CEO Mark Fields told USA TODAY earlier this month that the company wants to begin helping cities redesign their mass- transit networks possibly for self- driving vehicles. He sees the “mobility” segment as a significant source of future profit.
“Mobility” is a frequent word you’ll hear from Ford executives these days.
Talk is cheap, but Super Bowl ads aren’t. And the company’s decision to invest in a 90- second commercial between the coin toss and kickoff could cost close to $ 15 million, based on reported rates of $ 5 million per 30 seconds for official game ads on Fox.
Lenard declined to reveal the price Ford paid. It’s the first Super Bowl ad for Ford since 2014, and Ford will pair it with stories about its ride- sharing, bike- sharing and autonomous- vehicle efforts at FordGoFurther. com.
The ad features humorous footage of people getting stuck in life circumstances.
The company hopes the ad encourages people to visit its new FordHub in New York City. Visitors will get the chance to build a Mustang muscle car in a three- dimensional setting, view local transportation alerts on a massive video wall, engage in a virtual race featuring regenerative braking and learn about the automaker’s autonomous vehicles.