Ford GT in Super Bowl commercial

[Mark Worthington]

This ad is supposed to air during the Super Bowl pre-game show:

http://www.magiccitymustangs.com/ima..._TheONE_FL.wmv

Well done!

[Edit: Go Pats!!!]

[Bill Bayard]

Mark,

As the Patriots will have squashed any Panther hopes of
victory by halftime, this ad's just a ploy to keep the fans awake! GO PATS!
At $1 million plus for a 30 second ad, Ford is pulling out the stops to insure that the first production run sells out. It worked on me! I'm ordering two off eBay! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
It's a pretty cool commercial though. Kinda gives you a rush in the seat of your pants, doesn't it?

Bill

[Jim Rosenthal]

Hi Bill, when you get your two off Ebay, can I borrow one for a week or two? I'll wait til the snow melts. I will provide collateral in the form of my Toyota truck (2wd) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] don't count Carolina out so easily. They have surprised people before.

[Jim Rosenthal]

Neat ad, though....I'd still rather have the real thing.

[Andre40]

Hi All and Bill Bayard,

Bill, interesting comment the cost of a TV ad at $1 million plus for 30 SECONDS. Sure the Superbowl game will be beamed to millions of viewers in the US, therefore big hit for Ford.

In a previous separate posting I recommended the 40th anniversary celebration of the GT40 at the Nurburgring where it raced for the first time on May 31, 1964.

I suggested that Ford should invite as many as possible previous GT40 drivers plus original cars. It would also present an opportunity to have a track day for the new GT. A group photo of Bill Ford, other Ford top brass and all the drivers would be a unique once in a life time opportunity.

I recommended the weekend of May 29 and 30 but it was pointed out that it was the weeked of the European Grand Prix. Perhaps the following week-end would be OK or the classic race on July 4. At least the year would be right.

There's no doubt that this proposed event would give Ford huge worldwide publicity via TV and press reports and editorials in motoring magazines. This would of course be for free after Ford's initial funding of the event, which might even be a lot less than $1 million.

The 64000 dollar question is which route would give Ford the best value for money - the Superbowl TV ad or the Big Bash at the Ring?

Interesting question for the finance people who specialise in value for money. Your comments please, Brett.

I think the new GT is great - steering wheel left or right or in the middle like McLaren F1, makes no difference! Crazy that it so happened that there's LHD and RHD!

Get it right the first time!
Andre 40

[Bill Bayard]

Andre,

Sorry, but my estimate of the Super Bowl GT ad was just a

bit off. Try $2.4 million for 30 seconds!

As the game will be televised around the world for millions

of viewers, and the "Ring" would have a smaller audience,

Ford may or may not want to spend the money on an

anniversary get together. You never know, it's just the cost

of doing business! I hope they go for it, as the "older

generation" of drivers won't be around forever.

Bill

[Mark Worthington]

This ad is airing BEFORE the super Bowl and will therefore cost much less to run.

[roy snook]

Bill,
I reckon the advertising value with serious enthusiasts of the kind likely to attend a meeting as Andre suggests would be of great benefit in the 'GT sales' race, as opposed to exposure to a huge audience, the majority of which probably have no interest in such a car, what do other forum members reckon? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Bill Bayard]

Roy,

The Nurburgring is certainly more likely to produce potential purchasers , but Ford is appealing to the masses for the benefit of the Ford marque as a whole.
I honestly don't believe that Ford is worried about selling out the run of GTs. That will happen anyway, without a massive advertising campaign. It's more about the long haul and brightening Ford's economic future.

Bill

[Mark Worthington]

This is really an ad for Ford, not for the GT. The tag line says it all - Pace car for an entire company.

[Mike Dozier]

Mark

Agreed...Ford doesn't need to advertise to sell 4500 GTs.
Purpose of the ad is to impress the TV watching world
(not millions...HUNDREDS of millions!) that Ford is cool.

The cost per person/image is probably still pretty good,
otherwise the bean counters would squash such an expense.
As Andre (Agassi) famously said..."Image is everything".

MikeD

[Bill Hara]

I like the disclaimer that appears in the ad :"Clearly a proffesional driver on a cleared track". In Australia, the Government has banned commercials of this nature as it can "incite hooligan activities on the nations roads". At least 2 car companies I know of have been heavily fined for "potential incitement".
Great ad.
Funny thing is, I feel like laying some rubber on the road now.... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Bill.

[Mark Worthington]

Bill, I really love you Aussies; you are a fun-loving, enterprising people who live in a beautiful place. But you are governed by a bunch of pussies.

[patbarry]

Good find Mark! I will watch the Super Bowl just for this ad.

[RobBeddington]

Hi all

Ford has updated the Ford GT webpages this weekend following the showing of the Superbowl Commercial. There's a wicked "behind the scenes" film of the Ford GT at Thunderhill on the Ford GT home page, as well as the commercial itself and the 30 second "curves" TV spot.

They have also just updated the Flash intro to the website with the ad's slogan, "The pace car for an entire company". Nice strapline.

If anyone's missed it before, the same site has some nice historical videos of the 1966 Le Mans 1-2-3 and the 1967 Le Mans victory.

Enjoy!

Rob