Ford on Wednesday rolled out a new promoting campaign that the corporate mentioned will mark a “fundamental shift” in its branding technique — and comes because the auto business offers with main uncertainty.
The automaker’s new technique, titled “Ready, Set, Ford,” goes past vehicle-first promoting, Ford mentioned, and as an alternative focuses on the individuals who purchase its automobiles. It entails 4 basic guarantees: functionality, ardour, group and belief.
The auto business is going through a vital crossroads as firms take care of President Donald Trump‘s tariffs and an total client pullback in spending. Despite uncertainty with varied sectoral tariffs, Trump’s auto tariffs have remained roughly unchanged, with a 25% tariff charge on imported automobiles and auto components.
That timing, Ford Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo mentioned, is intentional.
“The auto industry is in the midst of historic disruption. We are fortunate in the sense that Ford has an incredible 122-year history to leverage,” she mentioned. “So because of that, we felt like there’s no better time to double down on our commitment to our brand and our consumers than now.”
Materazzo mentioned the corporate engaged in intensive analysis forward of the rollout, discovering a standard theme of uncertainty and nervousness from customers resulting from a spread of things, together with the political local weather and the financial system.
“The other thing we found is that consumers are surprisingly optimistic and resilient, especially when they feel empowered, and they’re seeking brands that help them navigate this uncertainty,” she mentioned.
Ford has lengthy championed its American roots and declared it is the “most American automaker.” That identification is now essential to the automaker’s model, Materazzo mentioned, and builds on its “America for America” campaign that provided worker pricing to all customers shortly after tariffs had been initially introduced.
The new technique goals to leverage Ford’s iconic model whereas concurrently signaling that the automobile firm is coming into a new period, Materazzo mentioned. It will unify all of Ford’s international manufacturers for the primary time in many years below the new campaign, permitting the corporate to “represent ourselves very consistently around the globe,” she added.
“By Q1 of 2026, all of our global markets will be in market with ‘Ready, Set, Ford,'” Materazzo mentioned. “The majority of them will do that by Q4 of this year.”
The first rollout of the ad is kicking off along side this week’s Thursday Night Football sport, because the automaker aligns itself with the NFL season, one of many largest moneymakers for ads main as much as the Super Bowl.
During the Covid pandemic, the auto industry pulled again considerably on promoting and advertising and marketing budgets because it handled provide chain points left firms with out sufficient autos to promote. Many automakers returned to advertising throughout the NFL season final yr as car stock ranges returned to extra regular ranges.
Even because the macroenvironment indicators uncertainty, Materazzo mentioned the corporate is targeted on persevering with to ship on its legacy and spend money on its model.
“The industry is in the middle of a transition right now. I don’t think all brands will survive, but I think those that not just survive, but thrive, will be the ones who recognize that one of their most valuable assets is their brand,” she mentioned. “And if you don’t invest in your brand, you’re really disadvantaging your business for the long term.”