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THE PERFECT SOUND: JUANES AND FORD GIVE POWER TO YOUR VOICE
Ford and Colombian Rocker Get SYNC-ronized
DEARBORN, Mich., October 22, 2007 – He's the leading all-Spanish language music artist in the world, and now he's giving his voice to SYNC, Ford's innovative new way to be connected while you drive. Juanes, a 12-time Latin Grammy award winning artist, will help introduce SYNC to the Hispanic market. He will be the voice and face behind Ford’s cutting-edge creative campaign aimed at the first group of car buyers to grow up on-line.
Directed at Generation Y, the 57 million people born between 1981 and 1995, the campaign is composed of new on-line, print and broadcast advertisements. The campaign will introduce Hispanic consumers to the power of SYNC through the slogan “SYNC. A tus ordenes" (SYNC. At your command). To show the “power of voice,” Ford is strategically positioning talking billboards in high traffic areas. When triggered by a motion detector, the billboard will deliver Juanes’ voice talking about SYNC. And in an effort to get closer to his fans, Juanes will introduce SYNC at private events in Los Angeles and Houston later in 2007 with the campaign running into 2008.
“I know that in today’s busy world, one of the few places people have the time to closely listen to music is in their car,” said Juanes. “As someone who is deeply interested in both technology and sharing my music in personal environments with fans, teaming up with Ford and SYNC is an ideal partnership. I love the idea of people having the ability of listening to my music and communicating with loved ones by voice command while continuing to drive safely.“
SYNC, a Ford-exclusive technology based on Microsoft Auto software, provides consumers with the convenience of using their voice to command their car to do everything from playing their favorite songs to calling their favorite person. By pushing a button on your vehicles' steering wheel and then saying a command, users can access their Bluetooth-activated mobile phone and digital music player – including genre, album, artist and song title. When paired with a compatible mobile phone, SYNC will even read your text messages. The idea is focused on extending the digital lifestyle and connecting your experiences to your car.
Known for both the strength of his music and speaking out for change, Juanes was recognized by TIME as one of the “100 Most Influential People In The World” for his belief in the possibility of social change through music. With SYNC, Juanes will encourage young Hispanics to make sure their voices gets heard.
Ford is also sponsoring Juanes’ highly-anticipated fourth album – “La Vida…Es Un Ratico”, which is set to be released in 77 countries on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 – making it the largest ever world-wide release for an all-Spanish language artist. Ford is also the exclusive automotive sponsor of Juanes’ 2008 tour which will feature organic product integration and innovative fan experiences.
“Ford, SYNC and Juanes are just the perfect fit because we’re all focused on the importance of being able to connect with people,” said Dave Rodriguez, Multicultural Marketing Communications Manager for Ford Motor Company. “Staying connected to friends and music while on the go is no longer a trend, it’s part of everyday life for our Hispanic target and SYNC brings this power exclusively to Ford drivers.”
Available in 12 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models this calendar year and in nearly every Ford, Lincoln and Mercury product within two years, SYNC’s voice recognition system has settings for English, Spanish and French. Pending the capability of individual devices, SYNC features include voice-activated hands-free calling; Bluetooth streaming audio; uninterrupted connections; audible text messages; voice-activated music; automatic phonebook transfer and multilingual intelligence. SYNC is compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and most digital media players, including the Apple iPod and Microsoft Zune.
The power of SYNC doesn’t just stay in the car. Users can stay connected to Juanes and all of their favorite artists through the SYNC online community. Hosted by Cyloop.com, SYNC webisodes created by artists allow users to interact via chats/blogs with various artists and will feature exclusive content including mp3 downloads, SYNC information and integration.
“Sync fits your lifestyle and introduces you to the technology of the future,” said Juanes. “It’s all about being SYNC-ronized with your culture, your people, your music and your car.”
For more information on SYNC features, promotions and specials and to learn more about Juanes please visit www.syncatusordenes.com
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordenespanol.com
Juanes
A top-selling Latin Rock artist, Juanes has become the leading all-Spanish language music artist in the world. A dedicated global activist and renowned musician Juanes has won 12 Latin Grammy awards and has been declared “the single most important figure of the past decade in Latin pop music” by the Los Angeles Times and “One of the 100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time Magazine. His second album Un Dia Normal became the #1 Spanish-language album for all of 2003 in both sales and airplay and still holds the record for the longest Top-10 chart run (92 weeks) of any Latin album in history. The album’s success led Juanes to top six separate Billboard year-end Latin charts, including #1 album, #1 singles artist and #1 songwriter and resulted in his selection for the cover of Billboards “Year in Music” special issue. Juanes’ highly-anticipated forth album is set for release in 77 countries on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 – marking the largest ever world-wide release for an all-Spanish language artist.