The all-new Ford Capri EV debuted back in July 2024 as the second Blue Oval model riding on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, along with the Explorer EV, and began shipping last fall. However, fans of the old, sporty Ford Capri coupe have been keen to express their displeasure for the fact that this nameplate was resurrected on an all-electric crossover, much like the backlash facing the Mustang Mach-E after it launched bearing the iconic pony car name. Now, a new Ford Capri EV ad is making an attempt at connecting with fans via a popular social reference.
In this new ad, Ford says “You can’t play the game. But you can drive the car,” showing someone placing a game titled “Capri City” (much like the older game GTA: Vice City) in their laptop. Rather than pulling up a game, it displays that same message on the screen, which is a reference to the video game Grand Theft Auto VI. That game was rumored to be in development years ago, confirmed in 2022, and yet, we’re still waiting for it to arrive following multiple delays.
Clearly, this new Ford Capri EV ad is trying to capitalize on the popular trend of pointing out all of the things that we can get before GTA VI arrives, the latest attempt to connect with prospective customers. More recently, Ford teamed up with soccer legend Eric Cantona to design a custom, one-off Capri EV as part of a marketing campaign, and before the crossover even debuted, FoMoCo was trying to make it seem more like an evolution of the older model than a totally different product.
Those efforts drew not only the ire of Ford Capri fans, but also, backlash from the ad agency that created them in the first place. In fact, Michael Hines, Group Strategy Director of Wieden+Kennedy UK, went on to call those folks “the usual cadre of grumpy petrolheads.”
It lost some ground to its cross-town rival in recent months, however.
A rather bizarre incident, indeed.
A DOE spokesperson denied the report.
Amid a general slowdown in demand for EVs.
With swiveling power outlets.
