More cowbell! Ford turns Focus into musical instruments

click above for more images of the all-Focus orchestra

The European Ford Focus is a big reason that Ford sells more vehicles in the UK than any other automaker, so you'll have to forgive the Blue Oval if it goes overboard in marketing one of its biggest stars. You may remember a Lexus campaign that used the sound systems from 12 Lexus LS 460s to create a virtual orchestra, but Ford has taken the musical theme a big step forward. Composer Craig Richey, sound designer Bill Milbrodt, and friends used a five-door Focus fresh from the factory floor, took it apart, then used the car's many parts to create 31 musical instruments. We're not talking flutes and trombones here, folks. The musical maestros used Focus parts to create such original works as a Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle and Door Harp. Ford will then hand over the Motorcraft-edition instruments to a full-blown orchestra to lay the sound track for the next Focus commercial. The ad will be aired on ITV in Europe on Feb. 4.

We may not have the Euro Focus on our shores, but we are hoping we can get the song on our iPods so that we can ask SYNC to play it when driving our less-dashing Focus. Check out Ford's press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 28 January, 2007

Ford's latest advertising campaign will focus on the music when it's aired in the UK from 4th February.

In a clever feat of musical ingenuity, an orchestra playing instruments created entirely from car parts performs the soundtrack to the new Ford Focus television commercial.

This harmonious masterpiece is the work of two American composers who have taken the concept of car sounds to the extreme. Hollywood film composer Craig Richey and New York sound designer Bill Milbrodt turned 21 parts from the new Ford Focus into musical instruments and arranged them to be played by an orchestra.

Milbrodt's team took apart a Ford Focus five-door hatchback that had, literally, just come off the production line. "When we got it to the mechanics shop, it had less than a mile on the clock. We took the doors and fenders off, but we had the body shell intact and we later cut out of that the parts we wanted," said Bill Milbrodt.

By the time the orchestra had been assembled for the photo shoot at Universal Studios in California, Milbrodt's team had constructed 31 instruments. Each has a name that instantly identified its origins, such as the Transmission Case Cello-Dulcimer, Clutch Guitar, Rear Suspension Spike Fiddle, Fender Bass, Hatchback Kick Drum, Handheld Gear Tambourine and Door Harp.

So what does music played by car parts sound like? Tune onto ITV on 4th February to find out!