Meet Doug, an orange puppet and the new online face of the 2012 Ford Focus. Doug may not seem like much, but the guy has a way with the ladies. What else do you need from a spokesperson besides a history of saving lives, good looks and a rapport with female reporters? If you’re Ford, probably very little.
Seeing as the broadcast advertising trend for American-made automobiles is about being serious and helping out the working people of Detroit, Doug and his all-star team comprising comedy writers (whose credits include Reno 911, The Simpsons, SNL and Conan) as well as director Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Arrested Development) exist solely on the Internet. Detroit is in trouble, and therefore television viewers en masse aren’t ready to laugh with a domestic automaker during American Idol commercial breaks. Still, good for Ford and Team Detroit for trying to put funny content out there. Alas, Doug will be strictly featured on YouTube and social media outlets. Hey, Facebook guy! Want to buy the new Ford Focus?
Credits, and some of Doug’s more “heroic” feats after the jump.
Director
Paul Feig
Bored to Death, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Weeds, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Freaks and Geeks
Writers
Rob Cohen (The Ben Stiller Show, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, American Dad, Just Shoot Me, MADtv, MTV Movie Awards)
Eric Leiderman (Borat, TheShowbiz Show with David Spade)
Ken Daly (D List with Kathy Griffin, MTV Movie Awards)
Donick Cary (The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman)
John Rosse Bowie (Reno 911)
Dave Reynolds (Finding Nemo, Late Night with Conan O’Brien)