Ford commercials give center stage to Ford owners

As far as American automakers go, Ford seems to be our country’s darling at the moment. No surprise really - the company has, after all, effectively distanced itself from government bailouts. It’s also making smart decisions by producing better cars like the Fusion and bringing European favorites, such as the Transit Van and upcoming Fiesta, our way.

To highlight their latest and greatest products – as well as some established successes – Ford has produced 15-second commercial spots during which real drivers talk about their favorite parts of their Ford vehicle. Jonathan loves the SYNC system; Paul’s hands don’t smell like gasoline thanks to his Ford’s capless fuel filler.

Depicting real people -- real, young people, that is -- enjoying their cars makes a statement very different than what we’ve seen from General Motors. It’s a tactic that the company hopes will speak to Ford owners and in-market shoppers alike.

“We didn’t want to get bogged down in one message,” says Mark Schirmer of Ford Communications. "It was just about letting people talk about their car. It’s straightforward and honest.”

The quickie ads, already on YouTube, will air on television before and after main commercial segments starting Monday.

-- Alison Lakin

Alison Lakin is a staff writer at DriverSide.com.

Networking the Ford Fiesta

Maybe they should’ve called it the Ford Facebook.

Ford is a planning an elaborate marketing strategy around the introduction of its new Ford Fiesta compact, one of several fuel-efficient cars the automaker plans to bring to these shores in the near future. The Fiesta has garnered some good reviews in Europe, where it went on sale last August.

The Fiesta isn’t expected to reach U.S. showrooms until 2010, but Ford is shipping German-made copies of the two-door hatchbacks to America as we speak. They will be doled out to 100 “specially selected people” who will drive the cars around and then report their experience on social-networking sites such as Facebook and Flickr.

Ford calls this the “Fiesta Movement,” and says it’s aimed at a group called Millennials — marketing-speak for folks born between 1979 and 1995 who will make up the largest single cohort of drivers by 2010 (28%, for you Boomers keeping score at home).

The automaker is accepting online applications for the Movement until March 13. To get the viral marketing thing going, wanna-be Fiesta testers have to make their case in a short video posted on YouTube. Further details can be found at www.fiestamovement.com.

Ford rightly notes that social-networking sites — and user-generated reviews in general — have become a crucial avenue for reaching younger consumers. That generation can be a finicky bunch, however, if something smells a little too much like teen spirit.

-- Martin Zimmerman

Photo: Ford CEO Alan Mulally with 2009 Ford Fiesta. Credit: Ford Motor Co.