American Idoling With the Fords
April 09, 2008

By Michelle Krebs

Anyone who tuned into American Idol Tuesday night saw Ford Chairman Bill Ford and family sitting in the front row. The cameras focused in on Ford at the very start of the show, identifying him even before host Ryan Seacrest took center stage or the judges were introduced.

Ford is a major sponsor of the national talent show, and Tuesday night’s American Idol marked the premiere of  Ford’s new “Drive One” advertising campaign starring Ford employees.

The ads were shot in Ford facilities and on California streets. Ford is emphasizing four "pillars" in its ads: quality, green, safety and smart technology. The ads feature unscripted, real-life interviews with Ford engineers and technical experts.

For instance, the first 30-second ad to air during American Idol on Tuesday night starred  Elizabeth Baron, a Ford expert on Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization technical expert, with the Ford Fusion. South of L.A. in Thousand Oaks, Baron drove a Fusion on a twisting two-lane road with handlheld cameras rolling as she talked about Ford and the Fusion. Other driving shots used a body double.

Ford said employees were not told what to say. “We just wanted to capture in film their passion for making great products” Luis Salem, the media planning and brand entertainment manager coordinating "Drive one" said in a statement.

More "Drive One" ads will air Wednesday night during the blockbuster American Idol Gives Back during which the program hopes to raise $100 million for charities. "Drive One" ads have also aired this week on such highly rated programs as Oprah’s Big Give and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Photos
1 - American Idol contestants take a bow (Photo by American Idol)
2 - Ford's Elizabeth Baron, right, poses with the double used in Ford's Drive One ads (photo by Ford)

Posted by Michelle Krebs at 5:15 AM under Business , Ford | Comments (1) | digg this | Seed Newsvine