Ford Media Center

New Ford Explorer Ad Campaign Introduces World to the ‘Greatest Exploration Vehicle of All Time’

  • All-new 2020 Ford Explorer stars in new TV ads set to debut nationally this weekend during college and professional football games
  • Along with TV spots, campaign includes print and social media ads, and kicks off tonight in theaters across the country
  • Redesigned from the ground up, all-new Explorer began arriving in dealerships last month featuring its broadest-ever model lineup that includes first-ever Explorer ST and Explorer Limited Hybrid options

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 6, 2019 – An adventurous new ad campaign for the all-new Ford Explorer – America’s all-time best-selling SUV* – debuts this weekend with a series of ads that make grand exploration of everyday family outings such as buying basketball shoes, visiting a pet spa and taking the kids for ice cream. The multichannel campaign, which includes TV, print, radio, social media, out-of-home and in-cinema ads, was developed with Wieden + Kennedy New York.

“For decades, Explorer has defined what an SUV is,” said Matt VanDyke, Ford director of U.S. marketing. “Everything about the new Explorer was built with family adventure in mind – whether that’s visiting a national park or loading up for a romp at the local dog park.”

In the campaign’s feature spot, “Journey Home,” an astronaut makes a dramatic return to Earth, hops into an Explorer Platinum, then embarks on a journey to pick up his kids from school. Their exploration involves stopping at a shoe store to get his daughter a pair of basketball shoes and picking up a pre-cooked dinner at a grocery store.

 

 

Narrator Bryan Cranston – the voice of the Built Ford Proud campaign that launched last year – reminds us, “You don’t have to go to another planet to be an explorer. You can be an explorer right here on Earth. The all-new 2020 Ford Explorer. It’s the greatest exploration vehicle of all time.”

In an ad featuring the all-new Explorer ST, “Nighttime Adventure,” a marine biologist leaving a remote job site uses the vehicle’s Terrain Management System with seven selectable drive modes to travel across rough terrain and ultimately treat her family to froyo. Another one for the first-ever Explorer Limited Hybrid, “Return to Civilization,” follows an arctic explorer who changes places with her canine team, loading the dogs into her Explorer and hauling them from a remote arctic camp to pamper them at a pet spa.

Redesigned from the ground up, the 2020 Ford Explorer features lighter, leaner and stronger construction, more powerful available EcoBoost® engines and smart new technology to help tackle all of life’s adventures. Its rear-wheel-drive architecture enables a sportier, more athletic design, improved on- and off-road capability and 600 pounds more in available maximum towing capacity**.

The broadest Explorer lineup ever includes the first-ever Explorer ST with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine that is the most powerful Explorer ever, plus an all-new Explorer Limited Hybrid. While actual mileage will vary, Explorer Limited Hybrid with rear-wheel drive has an EPA-estimated range of over 500 milest between fill-ups; four-wheel-drive-equipped vehicles have an EPA-estimated range of over 450 milesz per tank.

Explorer’s all-new Terrain Management System is available to help tackle various adventures, helping confirm its status as the ultimate family adventure vehicle. Or, as Cranston says in Journey Home, “It’s the SUV you think of when you think of an SUV.”

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*Based on total cumulative OEM-reported U.S. sales for all SUVs from 1990 through 2018.

**5,600 lbs. (3.0-liter ST, Platinum), 5,300 lbs. (2.3-liter EcoBoost equipped with Class III Tow Package), 5,000 lbs. (3.3-liter Hybrid equipped with Class III Tow Package). Maximum towing varies based on cargo, vehicle configuration, accessories and number of passengers.

tActual mileage and range will vary. 18-gallon tank. EPA-estimated ratings of 27 mpg city/29 mpg highway/28 mpg combined.

zActual mileage and range will vary. 18-gallon tank. EPA-estimated ratings of 23 mpg city/26 mpg highway/25 mpg combined.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.  The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty.  Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services.  The company does that through three customer-centered business segments:  Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough electric vehicles along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs.  Additionally, Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  Ford employs about 174,000 people worldwide.  More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.