Ford Motor Company on Monday announced that it has selected New York-based BBDO as its new global creative advertising agency, replacing WPP’s Global Team Blue (GTB). WPP has served Ford for more than 70 years now, according to the Detroit Free Press, although the multinational advertising and PR company won’t disappear entirely from Ford’s advertising roster, staying on to lead certain efforts. These include media planning, media buying, shopper and performance marketing, website development, customer relationship marketing, multicultural advertising, and Tier 2 dealer advertising. Portland-based Wieden+Kennedy will also begin serving on certain projects as a creative and innovation partner.
Ford’s global marketing shakeup comes after an exhaustive five-month evaluation, and the new, multi-agency solution it’s found is expected to save the automaker $150 million annually. That’s small potatoes compared to some of the other cost-cutting measures Ford is taking to improve its operational fitness – migrating its vehicle portfolio to five flexible architectures, for instance, and shifting its focus away from unprofitable cars – but every bit counts.
In addition, more than a hundred new in-house marketing jobs will be created at Ford Motor Company, relating to brand design, media tools, technologies, partnerships, digital labs, and customer experience.
“Ford already is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world,” says Ford Chief Marketing Officer Joy Falotico. “In this pivotal moment of reinvention and transformation, we’re excited to partner with world-class creative agencies to unlock the full potential of the iconic Blue Oval.”
U.S. customers won’t have to wait long to see what the BBDO era of Ford advertising will look like; the agency will launch a new U.S. brand campaign later this month, Ford says, showcasing a variety of Ford vehicles.
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