Cannes Lions
BBDO, New York / FORD / 2022
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
When buying a new car, everyone has a million questions, especially when it comes to electric cars that aren't even on the road yet. When we announced Ford's first all-electric Mustang near the end of 2019, we blew away reservation expectations. But interest was beginning to wain before the key moment of order banks opening. We needed to a) get reservationists to complete their orders by reigniting the excitement around the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and b) push others who were on the fence to order a vehicle outright.
We needed to respond to people's worries about ordering EVs and get them to overcome their internal struggle about whether or not to buy. We had to spark contagious excitement with the spirit of Mustang by arming people with the answers they needed to get them fully amped about hitting the order button.
Idea
We intercepted the searches of every potential electric car buyer, by hijacking the popular ‘versus search’ with smart SEO to deliver targeted placements. Focusing on the most common queries: range, charging, acceleration, software updates, and personalization.
For example, if someone used a ‘versus search’ about a Tesla’s battery range, they’d be served content of the Mustang Mach-E v a rocket, and find out about our 300-mile range. Even if you searched ‘Audi E-Tron v Porsche Taycan acceleration’, you’d see a Mustang Mach-E v the gravity of a falling chandelier, and learn the Mustang reaches 60mph in under 3.7 seconds.
Strategy
How we buy cars has changed forever. We skip the dealership and head straight to the Internet. Especially for electric cars - a modern consumer has a million questions. Research told us that 'versus searches' between car models increased 64% when people searched for electric cars. This was due to a lack of understanding about electric cars. The top FAQs were around car acceleration, range, fastest charging, personalization, and quickest software updates.
By creating films that not only answered these questions but injected life into an otherwise arduous task, Mach-E vs. Everything showed that the brand understood the needs and interests of their customer — making them well equipped to enter the EV market.
Execution
We created the Mach-E vs. Everything films to help a specific target audience better understand the market and its offering. So YouTube and Google Search served as our primary media channels, where Smart SEO descriptions and targeted placements intercepted electric car queries. From February 12 to June 30, these drove customers to the official Ford Motor Company YouTube channel, where they could have their questions answered.
Supported by paid media, our films ran on Ford’s organic social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. They also appeared on the Mustang Mach-E Vehicle Homepage on Ford.com
Outcome
? 130% increase in traffic to Ford.com
? 124% increase in sales in the first month of the campaign launch
? 58% of people found Mustang Mach-E more interesting than a Tesla after viewing our campaign. 6.2% brand awareness uplift in search
? 158% more likely to search for Mustang Mach-E after watching our videos
? From 0% market share to North American 2021 Electric Vehicle of the year
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