Ford scraps "Drive One" ad slogan in favor of "Go Further"

Zach Bowman — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Ford has adopted a new ad slogan designed to ward off complacency after successful run of nearly six years. The company is reportedly retiring its "Drive One" tag line for "Go Further," which will be used in marketing campaigns in both the U.S. and Europe. Ford had been using the line "Feel the Difference" in the EU. The company says its old slogans were designed to convince buyers to give Ford products a look after the automaker rebounded from near bankruptcy. Executives now say the manufacturer is in an entirely different place in its history and that it's time for a slogan that reflects that position.

Ford is expected to announce its 11th quarterly net profit on Friday, and the automaker recently announced it will begin paying a dividend for the first time in six years, according to Automotive News. The company is even within reach of an investment-grade credit rating.

When it came time to craft the company's new tag line, Ford apparently specifically looked at Nike's "Just Do It" and McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It" as inspiration. While "Drive One" is on its way out the door, the internal "One Ford" will continue to soldier on as an indicator of the company's global strategy.

Ford scraps "Drive One" ad slogan in favor of "Go Further" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tagline shuffle: "Bold Moves" out, "Ford. Drive One" in

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Back in the mid eighties, we think Ford could have had a winner with the corporate slogan "Bold Moves", with vehicles like the original Taurus (and our editor's personal fave, the SHO) boldly going where no vehicle had gone before. These days, with uninspiring designs like the current Taurus, "Bold Moves" just doesn't seem to fit. So, out with the old and in with the new: "Ford. Drive One." We think that the new tagline is much more in line with the Blue Oval's current position, as they make pretty good cars which do well when compared directly with their competition. Unfortunately, as was already mentioned, striking styling and innovative design are a bit lacking, so getting customers in the drivers seat is something Ford should be concentrating on.

This new tagline is the work of marketing maven Jim Farley, chosen by Alan Mulally as the man to lead Ford back from the brink, and was developed in coordination with Ford's dealer network. Ford hasn't had a hit slogan since "Have You Driven a Ford Lately" -- which is indelibly marked on the brain of anyone who's ever watched television in the eighties and nineties. According to Ford's own data, only 41% of consumers consider Ford vehicles, and this new tagline was developed to improve on that dismal number. The next hurdle will be converting those drivers into buyers. So, is this the slogan that finally sticks? We're not sure, but we do think it's a helluva lot better than "Bold Moves".

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Tagline shuffle: "Bold Moves" out, "Ford. Drive One" in originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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