The Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first EV. It’s also the first Ford that customers couldn’t test drive at a dealership — with a backlog of pre-orders causing expected but long production times. This delay sent the internet into overdrive, with fans and car vloggers (the self-proclaimed experts), going online to ask thousands of questions and speculate around the vehicle’s specs and features. Ford needed a way to answer these questions directly. To re-engage the customers who pre-ordered and tap into their tech & social savvy target market in a way that lets them keep control of the narrative. The objective was simple; get as much information as you can, directly into the hands of our target audience, in a highly shareable way.

We created a first-of-its-kind augmented reality podcast—an entirely new, mobile-only media format that allows the listener to walk around an interactive AR Mach-E. At the same time, Ford engineers and designers talk to you, pointing out the car’s special features and delivering you all the information you need to become an expert on the Mach-E in under 60 seconds.

Over ten episodes, this brand-new mobile experience includes personal insights from the whole Mach-E team, including Chief Technical Officer Robert Iorio, who talks Mustang power while a virtual Mach-E leaps from 0-60 directly in front of you. And interior designer Rachel Robinson instructs listeners to step inside the cockpit and hear her design inspiration for the vehicle.

Our creative solution needed to do more than answer the thousands of questions spread across the internet. It needed to reinforce Ford’s image as an innovator. To demonstrate to its new mobile and tech-savvy audience that it’s still on the cutting edge of technology and immersive consumer experiences.

With the rapid rise in the use of AR in e-commerce (61% of online shoppers prefer to make purchases on sites that offer AR technology), we saw an opportunity to deliver a unique, mobile-only, one-on-one experience to every customer. Letting the Ford experts who built the car personally guide customers around an AR vehicle, using just their mobile phone.

The combination of augmented reality and a social-first strategic approach to this execution creates a first-of-its-kind, mobile-only experience globally accessible by Ford fans.

This mobile-only execution is built entirely within Facebook and Instagram, enabling consumers worldwide to simply open their camera (within IG or FB) and place the vehicle in front of them. By housing the experience within these two global social platforms, Expert in 0-60 has democratized mobile AR and enabled our audience to share, personalize, and record their own episodes.

Expert in 0-60 has a permanent home in Ford's social channels, laying the brand's groundwork to quickly and easily expand the series to further nameplates, including trucks, SUVs, and more.

This is a new breed of podcast for a new breed of electric vehicle.

With $0 Media Spend, Expert in 0-60 received 1.5 million social impressions in just four weeks.

It brought a significant uptick in Ford's social engagement, including:

560% increase in overall interactions

348% increase in social shares

260% increase in screen captures

105% increase in traffic to Ford.com.

Over 200,010 likes and shares across Ford's owned channels and counting.