Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford
Ford dealership tells non-believers to "sit down and shut up"
The guys and gals over at Kieffe & Sons Ford have had enough of people wanting to remove God from our money and the Pledge of Allegiance, and they're spending valuable advertising dollars to tell Californians all about it. The brash Ford dealer has been running a commercial since February with the main goal of pissing off secularists, and if all goes right, bringing the rest of the car-buying public to the showroom floor. The main point of the spot is that 86 out of every 100 U.S. citizens are Christians who believe in God, so "believers" should just tell the other 14% to "sit down and shut up". The commercial then goes on to say that if those 14% are offended, then that's too bad because the dealer was asserting its first amendment right. That's great, but then why tell others to "sit down and shut up" when they're simply asserting their first amendment right? The saddest part of the commercial is that it appears to be nothing more than a lame attempt to use religion to get Christians to buy Fords. For the record, Ford corporate can't do anything about the commercials since the dealership is an independent franchise. Hit the jump to read the transcript of the commercial, and try not to break into a holy war in the comments. Thanks for the tip, Joe!
[Source: Consumerist]
Did you know that there are people in this country who want prayer out of schools, "Under God" out of the Pledge, and "In God We Trust" to be taken off our money?
But did you know that 86% of Americans say they believe in God? Now, since we all know that 86 out of every 100 of us are Christians who believe in God, we at Kieffe & Sons Ford wonder why we don't just tell the other 14% to sit down and shut up. I guess maybe I just offended 14% of the people who are listening to this message. Well, if that is the case, then I say that's tough, this is America folks, it's called free speech. And none of us at Kieffe & Sons Ford are afraid to speak up. Kieffe & Sons Ford on Sierra Highway in Mojave and Rosamond: if we don't see you today, by the grace of God, we'll be here tomorrow.
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Reader Comments (Page 4 of 7)
Kevin 3:57PM (5/28/2008)
Problem is, the bible-thumping, knuckle-dragging, ignorant fundamentalist extremists that this ad is targeting won't be offended. They're too stupid/blinded by their self-righteousness and self-sanctioned smugness and moral superiority to see anything wrong with, much less be offended by, this ad. Their thought process is going to be something along the lines of "This is a good man, and he's right. I should buy my next car from him." And that's about as far as they'll get.
And please note that despite my tone, I'm not offended by the ad in any way; i just think it's stupid and laughable. I am, however, offended by and have an intense dislike of the most extreme, fundamentalist bible pushers that refuse to acknowledge or accept scientific fact, and who make baseless, illogical and irrelevant arguments for the sole purpose of proving that they're "right" and morally superior to everyone else in an area-someone's faith or lack thereof, depending-that is a personal matter and in which there IS no right or wrong in the black and white, absolutist sense that these people are so fond of clinging to.
dan 11:01AM (5/28/2008)
Their sales volume will likely go to H*LL.
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M 11:03AM (5/28/2008)
I don't mind his tactics. I just think that he should offer a free pass into heaven with each sale. That's the only real incentive to buying at his dealership. Otherwise, God's going to be awfully confused by all the non-Ford cars sitting in heaven's parking lot(!).
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cnenf 11:05AM (5/28/2008)
This doesn't seem to be the brightest strategy given that almost all of their shiny new inventory lives outside and anyone with a knife and a ski mask could destroy the paint job and flatten the tires on every last vehicle in the lot in under an hour.
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Chuck Washburn 11:07AM (5/28/2008)
It isn't just Ford. Here's the Prayer Request page from the local Toyota dealer where I used to have my car serviced. When I questioned it, they feigned complete surprise that anyone might think it inappropriate for a automobile dealership web site. That was a couple of years ago and it's still there. http://vancouvertoyota.com/Prayer_Request.aspx
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M 11:18AM (5/28/2008)
Hey thanks man. I needed that prayer request link. I'm trying to find a job, and this will help.
BlazerUnit 2:07AM (5/29/2008)
I don't know, Chuck. I'm an agnostic, and I think I side the the dealer folks who were surprised at your complaint. That prayer list seems pretty harmless--it's not something you're required to participate in. Now if employees were pretty in your face about it while at the dealer or with business on the site, that's something completely different...
British_Rover 11:08AM (5/28/2008)
Ironically 14% is also about the same as Ford's current market share in the US...
http://seekingalpha.com/article/56884-analysts-doubt-ford-s-market-share-is-sustainable
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Chris 11:11AM (5/28/2008)
If they sell more cars then by all means keep it up.
Frankly, one thing has amazed me as how different these days from from the 70s and 80s. People just think they are entitled to be offended.
Instead of turn the other cheek its all about whining and crying to mommy to make it stop. Kind of like Obama
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SGV 12:10PM (5/28/2008)
Right on . . . and worse than the professional offenders are the professional apologizers. Kind of like the Obama.
Emeka Diribe 11:13AM (5/28/2008)
Good for them! Shut up Autoblog!
and I plead the Ist.
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AZMike 11:14AM (5/28/2008)
I'm sure, other than the media hype, that this will have a sales effect for them as an equivilent of the t*rd in the proverbial punchbowl.
folks, get out an atlas. look for either Mojave or Rosamond. be sure you have a magnifying glass; either is just a map dot. I've been by the store in Mojave; if it's quiet enough, you can hear the sign squeaking as it swings in the unending desert wind.
thankfully, this religious BS is about to come to an end in November.
AZMike
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M 11:24AM (5/28/2008)
What's going to "...end in November"? Is this Ford dealership going to close its doors? Or is Obama going to buy a Ford? . . . that is if Hillary doesn't get one first.
Cornholio 9:41PM (5/28/2008)
"thankfully, this religious BS is about to come to an end in November."
Amen to that!! :-)
steve 11:14AM (5/28/2008)
I'm standing on the tracks
Wishing that I'd gone back
Yesterday
'cos this time now, I'd be in my Cadillac
I'd be behind the wheel
Hell!
I'd be drivin' away
She's got 19 speakers
She's got 9 upon each side
And a sub-woofer right under the bitch seat
where Jesus rides
He's no dummy
He dig the bass
And the Buddha says
the sound just whopped him in His face (?)
And Allah
Be riding shotgun
With Santa in the back next to Hare Krishna
'cos we all be riding up in my Cadillac
Convertible '59
And that's a fact
Well, I think that I could live
right in the back
of my Cadillac
keller williams
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Emeka Diribe 11:17AM (5/28/2008)
Why should you question them? If you feel it is inapropriate content, leave the site and visit another dealer. Since when did having a company mean you can no longer have faith or profess it. No body clicked the mouse for you.
P.S Did you submit a prayer request? Cos I would have. What have you got to loose? It never hurts.
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UH2L 11:25AM (5/28/2008)
The dealer can do what they want, but they should realize that by using this tactic, they turn off as many customers, (Christian and non-Christian), as they attract.
If they want to be truly religious, they should stop selling Ford's guzzling vehicles and ones that are more likely to harm others in an accident due to crash incompatibility.
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Gregg 11:42AM (5/28/2008)
I'm alright with mainstream religions (some fringes can get kinda scary). Yes, it is all delusional, but the number of people who share the delusion demands a certain accommodation from the rest. I don't think believers are necessarily idiots or lunatics (though some are hateful and xenophobic and ignorant). I am never offended by religious happy campers...as long as they don't start killing me.
The stats are a bit distorted though. I know card-carrying Christians who would be counted among the majority, but who attend church for reasons other than deep-seated personal belief (camaraderie, good to raise the children in, family pressure, habit, etc.). If pressed, a lot of them would admit the story doesn't seem to carry water, and it seems likely that God is pretend. Sort of like we use and believe in Santa at Christmas, even though we know he isn't really delivering presents by the millions in nanoseconds. I am really fine with God being Santa for grownups. And God being used to sell Fords.
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Szyszek 11:43AM (5/28/2008)
Can I teach evolution in your church?
It is hard to believe that this country speaks so loudly about democracy and freedom and yet there are so many people here that think freedom means you are free to tell me what to do, who to sleep with and in what to believe. To me at least freedom means I am free to do what I want (without hurting others), say what I mean and sleep with a consenting adult of any sex I desire. I am straight but I support gay marriage 100%. To all of you religious nuts out there: What if gays were the majority and told you you cannot marry a woman and it is a sin to sleep with her? What then? Would you turn gay and marry a person of the same sex?
You may not agree with other lifestyles but you have no right to tell me what to do. This is America, isn't it?
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Jim 12:27PM (5/28/2008)
That's redefining marriage.
Having sex with another guy's digestive system is not consummating love.It's false intimacy and sexual abuse.