Essex, UK, January 18, 2016 – It’s time to let go of what you know about Mondeo Man, Ford and life itself. In a new marketing campaign, Ford of Britain is urging the nation to “Unlearn” by demonstrating that progression comes from abandoning preconceptions.
The campaign, which launches across out of home and digital media today, takes a surprising look at the familiar and shows just how far we can progress if we’re prepared to let go of limiting beliefs.
As part of the campaign, Ford is unveiling a new look with a bold change to its iconic script, which now sits outside of the blue oval logo with splashes of colour in place of the traditional white font. The new look will feature in all aspects of the brand campaign, including the TV commercial and banner advertising.
In the creative treatment, the familiar is challenged to show just how far we can progress when we Unlearn:
The TV commercial, which airs for the first time during ITV’s National TV Awards on January 20, closes with an emotional moment featuring a new-born baby that reminds us that we all have the ability to Unlearn.
Created for Ford of Britain by Blue Hive UK, the campaign is designed to drive reappraisal of Ford as a brand committed to innovation and progress to meet the nation’s changing needs when it comes to mobility.
“The campaign is about taking a fresh look at the familiar and anyone in the UK who takes a fresh look at Ford may be surprised by what they find,” said Andy Barratt, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford of Britain.
“We now have a line up of vehicles that demonstrate our performance prowess and innovation, from the Ford GT which will race this year at Le Mans, to our new flagship SUV, Edge, which is laden with driver-helping technology.”
Alongside the TV commercial, filmed by production company 2am, the Unlearn campaign is being communicated through an influencer programme, featuring some of the UK’s best-known online personalities, who will be sharing their own Unlearn experiences.
Ford’s Marketing Manager, Richard Beard, said: “Unlearn is about casting aside preconceptions, having another think about Ford, and reappraising. It’s about not being held back by limiting beliefs.”
Bryn Attewell, Creative Director, Blue Hive said: “Unlearn is a big, bold idea that demonstrates Ford isn’t – and has never been - afraid to cast aside limiting beliefs in order to make progress.
“We think people will be surprised by what Ford are up to. They’re not just building amazing cars like the GT and Mustang, they’re changing the way people interact with their vehicles and looking at every aspect of how the world gets around.
“That’s why we’re asking people to let go of any preconceptions they might have about Ford. And maybe at the same time we can all Unlearn few things about ourselves and the world around us.”
For more information on Unlearn visit: Unlearn.ford.co.uk
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 187,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 47,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 66,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 23 manufacturing facilities (12 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 11 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.
Having joined Blue Hive as UK Creative Director at the beginning of 2015, Bryn is responsible for overseeing creative work across the whole of the Ford of Britain account. In a career spanning over 15 years, he has previously worked at Banks Hoggins O’Shea, FCB London, Rapier and FCB Inferno. He’s won multiple awards across multiple channels, with his most recent success coming as Creative Director on This Girl Can, the award-winning integrated campaign for Sport England.
Richard Beard joined Ford in 1992, having previously worked for three years at a marketing agency. He has held the Marketing Manager role at Ford of Britain for five years and has been working on the Unlearn brand campaign for half of that time.
Prior to his current role worked in a variety of Ford Marketing roles both at a national and regional level including positions managing:
Primary brand, autoshows and exhibitions, European media, dealer events and exhibitions, European sponsorship, web optimisation and developing markets
Andy Barratt was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director, Ford of Britain in July 2015. He is based at the company’s UK headquarters in Brentwood, Essex and reports directly to Roelant de Waard, Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.
Prior to this role Barratt was Director Sales, Ford of Britain from July 2011 and was responsible for Ford’s sales operations in the UK, the largest market for Ford vehicles outside of the USA and China.
Ford has held passenger car leadership in the UK for 39 consecutive years and commercial vehicle leadership for 50 consecutive years, with Barratt overseeing recent sustained growth in commercial vehicle and car retail sales.
Prior to this role, Barratt was Director, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), responsible for the largest automotive parts and service business in Europe. He also served as district sales manager in Ford in Britain, before his role as director FCSD and before that had led the UK sales teams for five years in the Eastern and Northern districts.
Barratt joined Ford Motor Company in 1980, aged 17, as a finance trainee in Ford of Britain.
