Live Television Ads to Launch Ford's New Focus
12 August 1999
Live Television Ads to Launch Ford's New Focus * All-New Ford Focus Launched with Unprecedented Live TV Campaign
* Rising Comedienne will Star in More Than 60 Live Spots
* 18 Month Episodic Launch Begins 9/9/99 at MTV Video Music Awards
* 360 Degree Marketing Campaign Targets Influential Youth Market
NEW YORK, Aug. 12 -- Using live television technology and a
rising comedy star, the Ford Division of Ford Motor Company
announced today the biggest live television campaign in history for its new
small car, the Ford Focus. Ford will air more than 60 live television
commercials over the next six months featuring comedienne Annabelle Gurwitch,
host of TBS' Dinner & A Movie and former anchor of Not Necessarily the News.
"Are we doing a live national TV campaign to be different? You bet!" said
Jan Klug, Ford marketing communications manager, who announced plans for the
unprecedented advertising campaign at a press briefing today at the Kit Kat
Klub in Midtown Manhattan. "Everything about the Focus challenges the status
quo, so we are taking the same approach with the marketing launch."
The high-energy Gurwitch, who will be seen traveling around the country
taking on life and showing off new ideas about her Ford Focus, told reporters:
"Every commercial will be something new and unexpected -- even for me!"
The first three live commercials will debut during the MTV Video Music
Awards Show on 9/9/99, which will air live from New York City's Metropolitan
Opera House at Lincoln Center from 8-11 p.m. EDT. Additional live spots will
run through March 2000 on network prime-time programs that attract large,
young audiences. The locations of subsequent commercial scenes will be
determined just prior to the air dates in order to keep them topical.
"For our target audience, life itself is 'live' not pre-recorded," said
Bruce Rooke, J. Walter Thompson's executive creative director, who will
oversee development of the live campaign. "Doing the Focus commercials live
is a perfect fit for people who live their lives in a fast-paced, '24/7'
style. We chose Annabelle because there are very few TV sets out there that
can contain her energy."
About 80 percent of the Focus' live commercials will air during prime-time
programs on such popular programs as NBC's Friends, Jesse and Frasier; ABC's
Drew Carey and The Norm Show; Fox's Simpsons and Ally McBeal.
Internet To Go Behind the Scenes
The Internet will play a key part in the live campaign, with webcasts of
the commercials reaching people simultaneously through individual computers.
Internet versions will feature a unique behind-the-scenes look on the set both
before and after the actual live commercials, which will include separate
versions for the east and west coast. In addition, film school students will
be invited to assist with the webcasts, while online viewers can interact by
offering ideas for live events and adventures for Annabelle and her Ford
Focus.
Focus Aims for Influential Youth Market
The "Focus Live" campaign is just one element in the 18-month, episodic
marketing plan for Ford's all-new compact car, which is targeted at the highly
influential Gen X and Echo Boomer market, according to Bob Rewey, Group Vice
President of Marketing, Sales and Service for Ford Motor Company.
"The two key growth markets are Gen X'ers (20-35 years old, 25 million),
who are in the market today and Echo Boomers (19 and under, 80 million) who
will be entering the new vehicle market in the next two to three years," said
Rewey. "They will dominate the vehicle market for the next 30 years."
Focus will appeal to young consumers by offering options to personalize
their car to fit their lifestyle and interests. "By the end of the year,
owners can choose a Pet Package, Friend Package, Professional Package or
Sports Package for their new Focus," said Julie Roehm, Focus brand manager.
Roehm also announced plans to loan customized Focus vehicles for four to six
months to 120 trendy young people in five cities: New York, Los Angeles,
Miami, Chicago and San Francisco. "Our marketing campaign will be episodic,
rolled out over 18-24 months and reach consumers in four key areas: sports,
fashion, music and entertainment," Roehm added.
Today's announcement was the first hint of Ford's launch plans for Focus,
which Klug indicated would be extensive, innovative and designed to appeal to
a tremendously diverse marketplace.
"We're breaking new ground here and plan to shatter the myth that an ad
campaign for a mainstream product has to be just one footprint," said Klug.
"The Live Campaign is just the beginning of work that has been a dynamic
collaboration of our marketing partners, including J. Walter Thompson,
UniWorld Group and Zubi Advertising."
Other elements of the Focus 'buzz campaign' will include urban billboards
and radio, created by UniWorld, a specialist in advertising and marketing to
the African-American market, extensive Internet plans and a separate Hispanic
campaign developed by Zubi Advertising of Miami.
"For today's consumer, you have to be in lots of different places," added
Klug. Communications have to be 360 degrees. If you just do 90 degrees,
you'll miss them."
Focus -- The Car
While the "image target" is youth, Ford expects to sell more than 300,000
Focus vehicles a year by appealing to a tremendously diverse group of buyers
through setting new standards for small car roominess, comfort, driving
dynamics and stylish appearance. Priced from $12,280 for the three door ZX3
to $15,580, Focus has already won numerous accolades from automotive
journalists around the world, including winning 1999 European Car of the Year.
Focus is available as a coupe, sedan and station wagon, and goes on on sale in
the United States in September.
