Changing Channels

Young & Rubicam’s ‘Imagine TV’ Spots Build on Mercury’s Younger Brand Image DETROIT-Young & Rubicam’s new campaign for Ford Motor Co.’s Mercury brand marks a sharp departure from the more conservative approach that is usually identified with the automaker.
The seven quirky 30-second spots, which begin airing today, are also a good indicator of what’s to come for Lincoln, a sister brand to Mercury. Lincoln will undergo a similar image-building campaign in the spring, said Mike Belitsos, executive creative director at Y&R Detroit.
While the Lincoln campaign will be more subdued in order to fit the image of that brand’s vehicles, it will still grab the audience’s attention and be far different from previous Lincoln efforts, Belitsos said.
The nameplate’s tagline, “Imagine yourself in a Mercury,” continues in the new spots, but it is now delivered in a voiceover instead of being sung, as in the previous campaign.