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Auto Trex News FORDS SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL GOES GREEN

With billions of people around the world watching the Super Bowl Sunday, Ford Motor Company and its marketing agency JWT seized the opportunity to make more consumers aware of its Ford Escape Hybrid by making the “green” connection with a classic American icon: Kermit the Frog.

“The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the road today, making the ‘green’ connection with Kermit a seamless partnership for this campaign,” said Cisco Codina, group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales and Service. “The Super Bowl spot establishes Ford’s efforts to turn up the volume on its innovative products for consumers in an ever-changing market. This ad campaign demonstrates Ford’s increasing emphasis on hybrid technology in our future model lineup.”



“Ford and Kermit is a match made in heaven; they’re both American icons, both family-oriented and they’re both green,” said George S. Rogers, president and CEO, JWT Detroit.

In the commercial, which aired for the first time during the second quarter of Sunday’s big game, Muppet icon Kermit the Frog (now a Disney property) is seen mountain biking, river kayaking and rock climbing. During this montage we hear Kermit singing his signature song “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Upon reaching a wooded peak Kermit finds a Ford Escape Hybrid, and after discovering its “green leaf” hybrid badge he declares, “It must be easy being green after all.” The spot finishes with a shot of “The 36-mile-per-gallon Ford Escape Hybrid.”

Directed by auto ad veteran Bruce Dowad and shot on location in central California near the wild and scenic Kern River, the spot required some use of blue screen technology as well as a specially built mountain bike and kayak for the 18-inch long puppet.

“Whenever we shoot on location it’s a challenge for us especially when we’re doing things we haven’t done before,” said Steve Whitmire, voice and puppeteer for Kermit.

“A lot of advertisers go for humor in their Super Bowl ads, but what we came up with is very charming and powerful” said Tom Cordner, JWT’s worldwide creative director for Ford. “It’s a wonderfully produced commercial about sophisticated technology and we’ve demystified it through Kermit.”

Cordner added that Toyota’s bilingual commercial for its hybrid tries too hard to explain its sophisticated technology in a way that stands to confuse the casual viewer, whereas JWT made a point of making Ford’s hybrid ad as inviting and straightforward as possible.

“The Super Bowl has become a family event, Ford is a family brand and Kermit has always been about family – the Muppet family,” Cordner explained. The Super Bowl commercial will kick off a broader campaign for the Escape Hybrid featuring Kermit. The campaign – which will consist of television, print, digital and outdoor advertising – will showcase Ford’s commitment to technologies like hybrids that reduce air pollution, lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil and save families money at the pump. The ad also will be seen on such hit shows as American Idol and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Print and Web ads for the Hybrid Escape featuring Kermit also are in the works.

“The campaign puts a modern face on Ford,” Cordner said. “The Escape Hybrid is great example of innovation and this ad is a great way to build on Ford’s commitment to providing the right products now and in the future.”

When asked what he thought of the Escape Hybrid, Kermit added: “I look forward to getting my booster seat and extended pedals.”