Still from Ford’s “Finish Strong” place.
Ford
In a new ad campaign with actor Bryan Cranston, Ford Motor is urging Americans to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols to save lives in the next period of the pandemic.
The campaign, part of an initiative the company has called #FinishStrong, features a new commercial from filmmaker Peter Berg and voiced by the stars of “Breaking Bad” and “Your Honor.” The spots will launch in early January during college football bowl games on ABC and ESPN and NFL games on Fox.
Ford leaders said in a phone call on Wednesday that the company wanted to strengthen Covid protocols in the latter part of the pandemic in an effort to prevent tens of thousands of additional deaths as vaccines are rolled out.
“We are entering a very critical period,” said Mark Truby, Ford’s Chief Communications Officer. “Vaccines are around the corner, but we know from health experts and so forth that as many as 50,000 more American lives could be saved between now and when we have mass adoption of vaccines and so forth, and the kinds of numbers that will really do that. make a difference. ”
The ad, featuring scenes of frontline workers and those affected by Covid, aims to strike a unifying tone.
“We know Americans don’t necessarily want to be preached, and they don’t want to hear terrifying tactics,” Truby said. “The idea was, how can we come up with a positive message that appeals to people’s sense of humanity, the sense of patriotism, the sense that they are doing the right thing for each other?”
The company collaborated on site with advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy and Civic Entertainment Group. Ford is dedicating some of the slots during the early January games it would originally use to promote its F-150 truck.
Ford has worked with the UAW to produce tens of millions of personal protective equipment during the pandemic, including 20 million face shields, 50,000 fans, 32,000 gas masks and 1.4 million coats.