silver
GTB
Bear tracks, distant animal howls, and the need for safe shelter are all common themes in “survival” reality shows — where contestants compete to last in the wilderness with survival tools and a camera. Those storylines get a twist in a ad campaign from GTB for the Northwest Ford Dealers Advertising Association. A series of commercials portray people who initially seem like they’re in peril, but can easily escape to civilization with “The Key to Survival” — their Ford parked nearby.
The main challenge was how to give a distinctly Northwest flavor to automotive ads designed not only to enhance the Ford image regionally, but to drive traffic to dealers.
The brief was solved by leveraging a current cultural touchpoint -- "survival" reality shows, and using Ford's lineup of 4WD vehicles to demonstrate that they have the capability off-road to help people throughout the Pacific Northwest get anywhere, even under adverse conditions. The campaign garnered increased dealer traffic, increased sales of the three vehicle models featured, and won industry acclaim from "Ad Age" magazine.
The client region includes Washington, Oregon, and Montana (as well as Alaska) and the "survival" reality shows that are spoofed here often take place in locales that bear a resemblance to the Pacific Northwest.
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