Ford Bronco Sport ad “Raised by Goats”.
Ford
Ford is introducing its new Bronco Sport car with an ad campaign to showcase its goats – and not just the furry kind.
The “Built Wild” ads will roll out this weekend during the NFL playoffs and will begin with the 60-second “Raised by Goats” spot, which tells the mythical origin story of the vehicle and features live goats and horses. The spot will premiere on Saturday during the Rams-Seahawks match.
The goats immediately take on a double meaning, also referring to the car’s “Goes Over Any Type of Terrain” modes. “GOAT” was also the original code name for the Bronco, which the company brought back to life after its last production run from 1965 to 1996. The vehicle is Ford’s first direct rival to Jeep since the original Bronco.
Although Ford doesn’t advertise during this year’s Super Bowl, executives said they wanted the place to be “ Super Bowl-worthy, ” and that they wanted the creative message viewers would want to see again. The company partnered with Wieden + Kennedy New York on the spot.
Another spot for the terrain modes will appear on “Good Morning America” Monday, while a third will premiere in February. Ford executives said the campaign would also emphasize streaming video.
Ford marketers wanted to launch a campaign to help the Bronco Sport step out of the shadow of the upcoming Bronco, a more truck-like SUV designed for off-roading and set to go on sale this summer. They also wanted to showcase the features of the vehicle that make it like a “mobile base camp,” said Stuart Jennings, creative director of Wieden + Kennedy New York.
The last of the spots focuses more on the features of the car, which has an extendable work table, spotlights and, depending on the model, built-in sockets.
“Our customer is someone who lives a bit of a multi-faceted life,” said Dave Rivers, Ford’s marketing manager for Ford SUVs in the US. “They go to work in the morning and work all day, but at 5 they either hit the slopes or hit the trails – they enjoy the outdoors.” He said consumers are coming to the brand from Jeeps Cherokees or Compasses, or Subaru vehicles.
First spot, shot on Mt. Baker, Washington, involved in casting and “interviewing” goats to find them with the right personality and temperament for the place, the company said.
“Goats are very intelligent, but they are stubborn. Sometimes they just don’t want to listen. If they want to eat grass, they eat grass,” Jennings said in a statement. “We just had to wait every now and then and encourage them to do their performance.”
The shoot was also affected by the weather, as they didn’t expect snow during production last year. The pandemic added another layer to the troublesome production.
“It was a very interesting shoot to say the least,” Jennings said during a phone call to the media on Thursday.
The National Football League will allow CBS, NBC and Fox to sell two extra minutes worth of commercials during the playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. And with the pandemic affecting the NFL’s schedule, advertisers who have not yet committed may see last-minute discounts for Super Bowl slots, CNBC reported last month.