Challenge:Breaking through a packed pink space for Ford’s Warriors in Pink breast cancer awareness and product-sales efforts. (All net proceeds go to Susan G. Komen.)Objectives:• Increase awareness and differentiate from competitors by highlighting triumphs; • Drive traffic to fordcares.com ;• Showcase Warriors in Pink’s year-round commitment;• Grow visibility and apparel sales.Strategy:We found that stories of strong people who survived breast cancer inspire those fighting, so we created the Warriors profiles. Because of Ford’s stylish Warriors in Pink products, we developed our strategy around 2 words: 'Courageous Style'.Execution:We pitched stories by journalist-activist Lee Woodruff and wrapped the product story tightly in the Ford name (which inspires American pride) and the unique net-proceeds benefit. We executed 2 editor events and placed the brand’s cause story in entertainment media outlets because of celebrity supporters like Jennifer Aniston.Outcome:In 8 months, we told courageous survivor stories to diverse audiences, from O and USA Today, to Today and iVillage (for 67m impressions). Plus, we turned a Rachael Ray pitch into an exclusive unpaid product integration segment overflowing with key messages. Our efforts contributed to Warriors in Pink’s biggest October ever: $560,000 raised for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Our storytelling centred on enlisting journalist-activist, Lee Woodruff, to write survivor profiles and introduce the Ford story into new conversations, then our agency pitched her stories nationwide. We wrapped the product story tightly in the Ford name (which inspires American pride and loyalty) and the unique benefit that all net proceeds from products go to fight breast cancer. As part of our aggressive, layered media outreach, our agency executed 2 editor events: a June preview, timed to coincide with October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) issue planning; and an invitation to the premiere of Five with Jennifer Aniston, who directed a portion of this movie about lives affected by cancer. We also used an Aniston-designed Warriors in Pink T-shirt to help place the brand’s cause story in entertainment and celebrity media outlets.

Our program, executed according to plan, ran in the United States from May through October 2011.

In our first 8 months (for $350,000), we told courageous survivor stories to diverse audiences through O, USA Today, Parents, Today, iVillage, Self.com, Glam.com, The Dallas Morning News, NJ.com and more (for 67m impressions). We even got Robin Roberts to wear a Warriors T-shirt on GMA after her cover story by Lee Woodruff debuted in Ladies’ Home Journal.

Plus, we couldn’t have wrapped the product story tighter in Ford’s name than we did with the company’s gift of a new Focus to a Rachael Ray viewer who was battling breast cancer. Our agency turned our pitch into an exclusive full-scale, unpaid product integration segment — and human-interest tear-jerker. We worked with producers to deliver key messages and even gave a Warriors scarf to all audience members.Our efforts contributed to Warriors in Pink’s biggest October ever: Through product sales, $560,000 was raised for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.