Ford Looks to Tap Into Consumers' 'Inner Child' With New Urban Ad Campaign for Ford Focus

DEARBORN, Mich., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you remember that warm and fuzzy feeling you had when you pedaled your first bicycle, minus the training wheels? Ford is looking to spark that memory and many other childhood experiences as part of the launch of a new urban advertising campaign tied to the new Ford Focus, called "Inner Child," that debuts on BET and TV One.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110411/DE80812 )

"After engaging with some of our target customers for Focus we found that a great deal of them had a childlike reaction to the driving experience of the Focus. They were extremely excited about the thrill of the drive," said Shawn Lollie, Ford manager, Multicultural Marketing. "We wanted to find a way to combine this excitement with some of the key technologies and features of the Focus in a way that emotionally connected the consumer to the car."

The TV spot, shot in Los Angeles, starts off with a young girl learning how to ride a bicycle years before she is shown all grown-up and driving her new Ford Focus. The young woman shows off her MyFord Touch™ Driver Connect Technology, and tells her friend that her new Focus gets 40 mpg. The spot also finds her reverting back to her younger self through the use of her voice as she highlights the features of the Focus.

The fully integrated campaign includes TV, radio and print ads as well as a digital execution on www.fordurban.com. The campaign touches on both the Smart and Green Ford brand pillars, which were particularly important to the target customer of the Focus. The radio spots will air on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Steve Harvey Morning Show and on Radio One stations across the country. The TV ads will appear on BET and TV One, while the print ads will be featured in Essence, Upscale, Vibe, Sister 2 Sister Magazine, Juicy and Rolling Out.

"The Focus has a dynamic design, cutting-edge technology and the ability to not only keep you connected to your world, but also provide you with a driving experience that brings out your 'inner child'," said Lollie. "At the end of the day, our goal was to show the driving experience in a way that sparked an emotional connection to the vehicle."

The entire advertising campaign was created by The UniWorld Group, Ford's African-American advertising agency of record.

To learn more about the new Ford Focus and to check out the "Inner Child" TV spot and digital campaign, log on to www.fordurban.com.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company