Ford Goes Further
Out are “Drive One” in North America and “Feel the Difference” in Europe. In is “Go Further.” Ford is getting a new slogan, all around the world.
Reuters asked around and received little praise for the tagline.
- “I don’t think it’s that good. It’s a little too inside the industry,” said Jim Wangers, a marketing analyst in Oceanside, California.
- “Any automaker can use that. What makes it Ford? What makes it stand out?” said Justin Wartell, head of brand strategy for Interbrand.
- “We go further so you can,” said Elena Ford, Ford’s global director of marketing and the great-great granddaughter of founder Henry Ford. Reuters says that “her way of describing that could itself be turned into a slogan.”
Everybody’s an adman. As far as I’m concerned, I am getting ready for a new round of farther vs. further. Grammar Girl explains:
“The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance.”
So that’s what it is, a metaphorical slogan? I thought it’s an MPG promise.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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I don't know about the grammar, but that is a Really Cute Redhead™ in the video.
Well I guess they couldn't use "Have you driven a Ford lately" because you don't drive them anymore...you interface with them thru the (apparently) craptacular MyFord Touch system.
Well, as long as it isn't "Go Fuhrer" I think its OK... Though it does sound like a meaningless soundbite, a tagline that really isn't saying anything about the brand, really, just sounded sort of good. Something that marketing people would come up with, knowing nothing about the company and the cars.
Good thing they didn't use "furthermore". Whenever I see that in print, I think of Margaret Dumont wagging her head while lecturing Groucho.