Young & Rubicam offices and subsidiaries around the globe are playing a significant role in the reorganizing and renaming of what was formerly Ford Motor Co.’s Ford Automotive Products Operations, according to Craig Mulhauser, vice president of marketing, sales and service.
The new entity is called Visteon, coined from the words visionary and eon. Teaser print ads began appearing worldwide in 22 publications in seven languages about a month ago, said Steve Seyferth, Y&R executive vice president and director of client services. The campaign will continue into next year with more print executions, direct mail, billboard ads and an extensive radio effort. Y&R Detroit handles all advertising for the brand worldwide.
Landor Associates, a Y&R subsidiary in San Francisco, helped to create the name and logo for the company. It uses a swirl of burnt orange “energy dots” that suggest motion and symbolize the unit’s responsiveness to customers and speed in developing products, Mulhauser said.
Y&R’s Detroit office, which coordinates the estimated $5 million account, won the business last January. Wells BDDP’s Detroit office handled it previously. Y&R’s New York and London offices were involved in the overseas advertising and launch efforts. The new entity was unveiled recently at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
An aggressive global marketing plan aims to increase non-Ford business to 20 percent of sales–up from the current level of 5 percent, or $1.3 billion, Mulhauser said. While the advertising in each region will address issues unique to its market, Visteon’s global message will be the same worldwide, he said.
Y&R Gets Visionary For Ford Parts Unit
