Ford Cuts the BS and Focuses on Trust

A couple of weeks ago, as I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I came across a "Suggested Post" from Ford featuring a video of Elle King and Betty Who. I'm a fan of Elle, so I stopped scrolling and watched, despite my usual disdain for all things "suggested" on social. The video is just under three minutes, and these two female musicians discuss things near and dear to my heart: body image issues and body positivity, being authentic and creative, pushing the limits that people set for you as a woman. I watched the entire thing, realizing that, yes, Elle and Betty are driving around Brooklyn in a Ford Focus, but the car is not the focus (pun intended) of the video. Instead, it's these two bright, talented, articulate women talking about life, talking about issues that I deal with, too. And what kept me watching was the conversation they were having ... an honest conversation between two friends. I loved it. https://youtu.be/yc3yhpDFl8s It's not until 2:41 in the video that you see the words "Ford Focus" come onto the screen. Then there's a quick shot of the traditional Ford logo, followed by Elle mentioning that if you want to listen to the entire conversation (yes, they recorded a fabulous 20 minutes!), go to infocus.pitchfork.com. By 2:50, there's about 9 seconds of video of a gentleman telling Betty, still in the driver's seat, about the assisted backup camera in the car. But that's it. Ford used 9-10 seconds of a 2 minute and 59 second video for its product, and left the remaining 95 percent of the video in the hands of Elle and Betty. Better yet, here are some of the Facebook shares I found of this video: Now, are these people talking about how they want to go out and buy a Ford Focus? No, and that's ok. They're talking about Elle and Betty's conversation, about how much they like the musicians. What Ford did right here was to partner with Pitchfork, a Chicago-based online publication know for its coverage of indie music. Pitchfork was able to make the connections with the musicians, Ford provided the cars, and the end result is some really stellar content marketing. I can't say whether or not this will help sell cars, but so far there are three episodes, all with this focus: We’re in an unprecedented era of female artistry — women are changing the landscape in music, art, literature, and more. In Focus brings together two brilliant female artists to share their experiences, get to know each other, and honestly discuss all the things that are important to them. These videos will attract a female audience; they will possibly help Ford earn the trust of this audience; and if nothing else it will get people talking. I know I have been ... aside from this post, I've already mentioned the Elle and Betty video to several of my female friends. Good job Ford and Pitchfork. You know who you're trying to reach, you're giving me content I care about — from people I admire — and you're not trying to cram in a hard sell for your car. Oh, and it helps that your website is pretty freaking gorgeous. Now, in comparison, you have the Matthew McConaughey ads for Lincoln ... and the ridiculously funny spoof ads from SNL. https://youtu.be/NcGhLcVqxf0 https://youtu.be/z3eN9u5N2Q4 Needless to say, if SNL is spoofing you, there might be a problem. And for Lincoln, the bigger question is how do you expect to make an honest connection?

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Ford Cuts the BS and Focuses on Trust

Melissa Ward

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Melissa Ward