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New Ford Focus Ad Campaign Allows Viewers to Direct Live TV Commercials

29 February 2000

Who Wants to be a TV Director? New Ford Focus Ad Campaign Allows Viewers to Direct Live TV Commercials

    DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 28 -- Television viewers have watched
people winning a million dollars on TV, and they've watched people get married
on TV.  Now, Ford Motor Company takes the latest pop culture craze to a new
level by allowing viewers to leverage Internet technology to be the directors
of live television commercials featuring the new Ford Focus, the 2000 Car of
the Year.
    Ford Division of Ford Motor Company will combine ABC Network television
and Ford's focus247.com Web site to allow viewers to participate in creating
Focus commercials -- everything from selecting the actors who appear in the
commercials to deciding how the ads play out during the course of the evening.
While they are helping to shape the TV ads, participants will also be earning
points in a sweepstakes with $100,000 in prizes ranging from a Sony Walkman to
a new Ford Focus.
    "Last September, we smashed television tradition by airing live television
commercials," said Jan Klug, Ford Division marketing communications manager.
"Now, we're putting even more pressure on ourselves.  We're still live, but
now we're letting the viewers decide how the commercials unfold during the
evening.  In some cases, we'll have half an hour to do what the viewers tell
us to do.  That will create some wild moments on the set, and some great
television viewing."

    Key is Interactive Participation
    The Internet is the gateway for interactive participation in the
commercials.  People can log on to the focus247.com site to register for the
sweepstakes and the Focus interactive experience.  There, participants will
select which actors appear in the spots, which Focus model will be used and
the theme of that evening's four commercials.  All participants' choices will
be tallied, and the actors, car model and theme receiving the most "votes"
will air in the commercial.  Participants can then return to ABC, where they
can watch the commercial and find out if their choices made the "cut."
Participants will earn sweepstakes points by logging on, voting, and answering
fun questions about Focus.  As the evening goes on, viewers will continue to
return to the focus247.com Web site to make decisions as the commercials
continue.
    "The viewers will make essential decisions about every commercial, and
we'll have to jump through hoops to make their wishes reality," said Bruce
Rooke, executive creative director of the Detroit office of J. Walter
Thompson, which created the ads.  "No one has ever turned over the power to
create live commercials to the viewers before. We live in an interactive age,
and young people, especially, just don't want to sit and watch anymore, they
want to be part of the action.  These live interactive ads allow them to use
the power of the Internet to have fun watching the commercials, participate in
a sweepstakes and learn more about Focus."
    The commercials break March 8 exclusively on ABC's Two Girls and a Guy,
The Norm Show, Drew Carey, and 20/20.  The campaign will continue on a once a
week schedule through early April.  The campaign will be supported by print
advertising in magazines, national newspapers and alternative weeklies.
Ford's Internet partners, including Yahoo, DEN, Bolt and iVillage, will run
banner ads and provide hyperlinks to the focus247.com site.

    Focus an Award-Winning Segment Leader
    Focus has been a hit with the media and consumers.  It has won many
awards, including North American and European Car of the Year, the only car
ever to be honored with these two major automotive awards.  Launched in
September 1999, Focus quickly ascended to the top ranks of best-selling small
cars, and sold more than 19,000 units in January.   A unique marketing
campaign combined with the car's breakthrough driving dynamics and customer-
friendly features have made Focus a hit with young car buyers.  Through the
end of 1999, Focus had more buyers under age 25 than any competitor, with 24.4
percent of purchasers between ages 18 and 25.  Priced from $12,280 to $15,580,
Focus is available as a coupe, sedan and station wagon.