Wieden+Kennedy has grown its Ford enterprise, taking on lead world inventive and model technique work from BBDO because the automaker seems to streamline its promoting internationally.
W+Ok has steadily expanded its scope with the automaker because it was added to its roster in 2018. That’s when Ford employed BBDO as its lead world inventive company and named W+Ok as “a inventive and innovation companion.” However in actuality, W+Ok for the reason that begin has dealt with most high-priority promoting within the U.S.; though BBDO led a big marketing campaign in 2019 for the Mustang Mach-E electrical crossover starring Idris Elba. In 2020, Ford quietly promoted W+Ok to its lead U.S. company.
Ford confirmed W+Ok’s expanded scope in a press release at this time, saying the “Ford model is doing this to streamline its world advertising and marketing enterprise underneath one inventive company to drive model consistency globally and supply better operational efficiencies.” The automaker added that “BBDO, a valued Ford companion, will deal with CRM (Buyer Relationship Advertising) within the U.S. whereas WPP stays a key a part of Ford’s multi-agency group, main activation. All three businesses will proceed to play a key position on our multi-agency group and be anticipated to raise our creativity.”
WPP, which misplaced the worldwide inventive account in 2018, continues to deal with media planning and shopping for, along with multicultural advertising and marketing through its businesses Zubi and UniWorld. WPP additionally has the Ford-owned Lincoln model through its Hudson Rouge boutique company.
W+Ok handles the Ford account from its New York workplace. BBDO declined to remark.
Ford reported spending $3.1 billion on worldwide promoting in 2021. In 2020, the automaker spent 49.5% of its measured media spending in Europe and 42.8% within the U.S., in line with the newest figures from the Advert Age Datacenter.
W+Ok’s strikes on the Ford account have included putting in Bryan Cranston as a spokesman starting in late 2018. The company has additionally led advertising and marketing for the brand new F-150 Lightning EV, and helped the automaker form its company voice, together with with an advert earlier this yr touting its standing as a serious employer of hourly employees. That spot took a delicate shot at Tesla’s Elon Musk with the road, “proper now it may appear to be the one individuals who matter are the loudest—those who wish to tear issues down, and so they fly away on their very own private spaceships when issues get arduous.”
Ford’s U.S. automobile gross sales grew 16% within the third quarter, in line with Automotive Information.
Adweek first reported W+Ok’s expanded scope.