2008 Ford Super Duty: Big truck, mini-site
Minisites, sitelets, microsites -- whatever you call them, they're now a part of just about every product launch, whether it's for potato chips or Porsches. True to form, with last week's reveal of the '08 Ford F-Series Super Duty, the Oval followed up with a dedicated minisite for the new ginormous trucks. Its primary navigation elements are a set of links across the top of the page, each of which correspond to a specific background environment that gets dropped behind the black Super Duty sitting front and center in your browser window.
Arrows to the left and right of the truck let you cycle through the environments, which are a highway construction site, a boat ramp, a port facility/shipping terminal, a farm, and a field. Those environments serve as portals into detail pages related to power, capability, innovation, exterior, interior, and configurations, respectively. The detail pages generally feature a primary photo with rollover tabs that open extended explanations of the truck's features. In some cases you get slightly different content, such as 360-degree spin-o-rama views.
Finally, an 'Extras' link lets you register for email updates and has a set of desktop wallpapers available for download. This, along with the rest of the site's content, will likely evolve over time to keep things fresh over the year leading up to the trucks' arrival in showrooms.
I have to say that I found myself spending a lot more time playing around on the site than I thought I would. I normally get fed up with Flash-heavy sites like this after a minute or two, but the Super Duty site is fast, visually interesting, flows well and draws you in once you start clicking around. That's the whole point with any site, so credit Ford's interactive agency with a job well done.
Thanks for the tip, Ryan!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Johnny Aero 7:33AM (10/03/2006)
Is that the SAAB grill on a truck??
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Elliott 8:14AM (10/03/2006)
I know this is somewhat echoing the comments that were left on the post about the debut at the Texas State Fair, but wow. The interior looks amazing and I think the little touches like the step that is built into the tailgate are great.
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Stoneman 8:09AM (10/03/2006)
I wonder if you can grill on it. Get the steaks...fire it up!
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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Steven T. 10:06AM (10/03/2006)
That grille will be the truck's downfall. The Edsel has returned!
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Tool 10:33AM (10/03/2006)
Good Lord, I'd hate to be in an accident with this behemoth of a vehicle. Looks like a class action suit just waiting to be filed.
You look at this thing and wonder why Ford could possibly be in its third turnaround in 5 years???!!!???
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Tom 4:32PM (10/04/2006)
So you're going to file a class action against semi truck makers if you got hit by one? Give me a break. Plus the new diesel engine will get even better mileage than your minivan.
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jack 10:48AM (10/03/2006)
che baracca...
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Brian 10:54AM (10/03/2006)
Class action lawsuit waiting to happen?
This is going to be the most car-friendly big truck ever produced. Even the headlights are positioned so they don't blind you when it pulls up behind you at night.
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gkz 11:38AM (10/03/2006)
has anyone at ford noticed the headlights look crooked?
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rwdmtparkingonly 11:09AM (10/03/2006)
I want an automaker website to allow me to build a car, seeing all of the available options during the process, then search local dealer inventory for close matches. That's all.
The last time I used Ford's website it actually gave me the invoice price, but I don't expect followers on that.
That is cute that it has "SUPER DUTY" embossed on the grille, even though it's only a medium duty vehicle (http://tmip.fhwa.dot.gov/clearinghouse/docs/accounting/appendix_e.stm).
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Frank Rizzo 11:55AM (10/03/2006)
Why do manufactures insist on putting the head lamps below the turn signals/parking signals?? The Chevy avalanche tried it, it looked fugly. They eventually righted the ship by swapping them, so they match the Silverado. The but ugly Aztec tried it, and they are still trying to push it with the current Colorado.
Now Ford too.
If the argument is, headlight placement would be too high and oncomming traffic would be blinded, then just move the parking lights to the side. Although I personally dislike it offer crystal lens with color bulbs. Inverting the lights just look ugly.
It looks like ford tried with the crystals lens, but there is still a huge amber something or other between the lamps.
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MikeW 12:09PM (10/03/2006)
But the headlights are still dual beam (probably still H13s) so they inherrently glare more than 'quad beam' aka normal headlights.
And does the button on the end of the column shifter do double duty? Push for overdrive on/off, push and hold for 5 seconds to toggle tow/haul on/off. I hope so, because the transmisson detents suck D,3,2,1. So going from D (5th gear) to 3 would likely cause the diesel engine to overrev. But the last 6.0 could rev to 4250rpm but the power fell off BIG time at 3750.
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Paul j. 12:57PM (10/03/2006)
I think FOrd has hit the nail on the head big time with this truck (again.) The interior is absolutely georgious and truck buyers will definately appreciate the lttle things such as the hanging file capable center storage unit, the built in step in the back of the tailgate, the foldable cargo extender think, and did i mention the interior!??!!?
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Chris 1:11PM (10/03/2006)
I really wish Ford could apply their craft of making trucks to the car segments. Ford hnads down builds the best pickups on the road and yet struggle to build a successful car minus the Fusion.
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Jason 5:30PM (10/03/2006)
#11, you are totally right. Style-wise, blinkers above the headlights are ugly as hell and another stupid throwback to older times. Just reminds me of the hideous Family Truckster Wagon that Chevy Chase piloted in Lampoons Vacation. They added double headlights to the front with blinkers all over. This and the current Colorado are in the same league. Looks like droopy sad eyes with drawn in eyebrows from a cartoon. Ugly design.
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Odog 8:08PM (10/03/2006)
i photoshopped the headlights, inverting them,
take a look, i think the above poster was dead on,
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/odog1973/FORD.jpg
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Trucks Forever 10:01AM (10/04/2006)
GO FORD!
Great job on the F450 design and website! This truck will appeal to those out on the job site. Like it or not, these trucks are needed to haul materials and equipment on a daily basis.
I think FORD will give Chevy some great competition in this marget segment. GO FORD!
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tim 8:09PM (11/30/2006)
After seeing the 2008 superduty in person @ sema this week it appears that the new design looks even better live. The engine sounds much better than the 6.0 and the interior is absolutely awsome. It was a loaded white king ranch. It appears that the roof mounted dvd player is n/a with the power roof option. It looks like ford took a great truck and made it significantly better. Well done ford! I can't wait to get one.
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Randy Whipple 8:36PM (11/14/2006)
The headlamps are lower to the ground for two reasons. 1. You don't light up the interior of the smaller car/suv in front of you when you are behind it at a traffic light/stop sign. 2. The lights will shine down the highway further giving you greater visiblity and on coming traffic unwanted glare. I have a 04 F-350 Superduty, crew, 4x4, loaded Lariet. My 6.0 has had some issues in the first 30K miles so today I ordered my new 08 F-450 Crew, Loaded Lariet, Duelly. The owner of my local Ford dealer told me that the new 6.4 was a joint design by Volvo/Ford engineers and International was contracted to build it. Volvo is rock solid in the medium/heavy duty diesel truck market so keep the faith. If your wondering why I went to the F-450 duelly, I just purchased a new 36' Raptor toy hauler. Loaded with two Harleys in the back it will weigh in at about 13,000 pushing my single wheel F-350 to the limit.
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bill sherman 4:39PM (1/20/2007)
I just purchased a alpha 40ft. toy hauler and I ordered a 350. the base weight of the tailer is almost 15000lb. with a weight rateing of 18500lb. I'm wondering if I should go to the 450?? Does anybody know what the difference would be in fuel consumption?
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