‘Ready Set Ford’ is the Blue Oval’s first new global campaign in over 15 years
Ford says its customers, and not nameplates are the driving force behind the automaker’s first new global marketing campaign in over 15 years. And it’s one that it hopes will help the company survive turmoil in the auto industry provided by huge tariff-related costs and new rivals on the horizon.
Called ‘Ready, Set, Ford’, the new ad strategy shifts away from simply telling us how great its biggest-selling models are in the hope of selling more of them. Instead, it wants to connect with the people who buy those cars, creating bonds that could result in drivers come back to Ford dealerships time and again.
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Ford claims it has identified multiple distinct customer lifestyles that it can “credibly” support, and which will shape the brand’s decisions on everything from cars themselves to how we buy them at the dealer. That word “lifestyle” is probably already making some of you heave, and if you’re the kind of person who likes your ads to come crammed with stats and not look like a spread from Condé Nast Traveller, Ford’s new campaigns might not be for you.
A Brand Built on Pillars
The Blue Oval’s four new marketing pillars are capability, passion, community and trust. It wants to talk about trucks that operate like tools to help people work more efficiently, Broncos and Mustangs that give enthusiasts their driving kicks on and off road, and is throwing more effort into motorsports to grab more fans.
“Too often, we’ve let our volume offerings define the brand and kept our most capable and passionate products for enthusiasts,” Ford says. “Going forward, we’ll lean into our best.”
But the new ads could also highlight philanthropic ventures and community programs, as well as pushing the message that Ford is a familiar name and can be trusted, something that could help it hang on to some wavering buyers thinking of jumping ship to a Chinese EV in the years ahead.
“The industry is in the middle of a transition right now,” Ford Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo told CNBC. “I don’t think all brands will survive, but I think those that not just survive, but thrive, will be the ones who recognize that one of their most valuable assets is their brand. And if you don’t invest in your brand, you’re really disadvantaging your business for the long term.”
Signs of a Reset
In the run up to the launch of Ready, Set, Ford the automaker deleted all of its Instagram content. The move came after the company rebranded Ford Performance as Ford Racing, a shift which we now see was only one small part of a bigger change.
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Chris is a seasoned automotive journalist with over two decades of experience. He has worked… Read full bio

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