It's been months since the automaker Ford has been touting itself as a mobility provider whose business extends over offering cars and into services like ride-sharing and bike-sharing. With its new 90-second Superbowl ad that will show right before kick-off, the automaker will spread its message into the advertising's biggest and most expensive stage. The ad was released Monday, containing Ford's burgeoning ride-sharing and bike sharing services, while also plugging driverless vehicles that are still under development.
Chantel Lenard, automaker's director for US marketing said, "This is the first time we've done it in TV. Because we have this unique opportunity with the Super Bowl with 90 seconds to tell the story, we think it's a great way to be able to connect it with this idea of helping people move freely in life."
According to a report by Automotive News on Saturday, the ad buy outlines an initial time given that the automaker has run a tremendous Super Bowl ad. The spot also used James Franco and Rob Riggle to advertise the Fusion.
Meanwhile, the automaker's last ran was an in-game spot in 2013 for its Lincoln brand. This year's ad will start by showing people getting caught in an annoying day by day situations, such as a person stuck on a roof after the ladder falls and a kid whose shirt gets stuck on his head as he is trying to pull it off.
Ford highlights its vehicles and services as a way to help people get unstuck from sticky situations. For example, a driver is shown using an in-vehicle navigation system to escape a gridlock, and the other scene shows how a Ford truck pulls a car that is stuck in the snow.
In addition, the ad also shows a Ford-branded van shuttle. According to the automaker, they are planning to expand their service beyond San Francisco and Austin to at least six addition markets this year alone.
Ford announced that it will continue to run versions of the Super Bowl ad throughout the year, and that includes during the Grammy's. The automaker also opened an interactive brand experience studio named FordHub at Westfield World Trade Center in New York.
The company mentioned that it has plans to add hubs in London and Shanghai but Ford said on Monday that those plans are on hold for now. Nothing is being sold at the hub, Ford said. Instead, it's an experiential marketing effort.
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