This came across my desk today.
It’s some sort of manifesto, rallying cry or mantra from Ford.
The new Ford, I’m guessing.
The one that’s trying to throw off the shackles of a troubled past, the legacy of years of woeful management and a product line that simply has never run as well or lasted as long as its Japanese competitors.
Don’t get me wrong. The TV spots with Bryan Cranston are exceptional. Reved up on blue-collar grit and brimful of no-nonsense, zero bullshit attitude, they do a fantastic job of resetting expectations. An excellent first step in what promises to be a long process of brand invigoration.
But this… this is just sloppy.
How best to put it?
Muddled?
Flabby?
A random mish-mash of meandering paragraphs bereft of any semblance of flow or story?
I’ll stop there and offer the benefit of the doubt.
Almost certainly there was something better in the beginning.
I’d go further and say that a respectable missive went into the Ford Corporate Prose Mangler ZX211® and after a series of mindless executive tweaks, suggestions, mandatories, revisions, and changes, we ended up here.
I’ll give you that. But, folks, now its time to send for the cavalry.
This sucker needs a re-write.
A big gun to bring a little clarity to proceedings, add an injection of poetry, vim, energy and, pardon me for this one, drive.
As luck would have it, our industry has recently laid off a huge swathe of very senior ad writers, experienced pros one and all, many with gongs and Gold Award thingamajigs. Anyone of them would kill this brief.
Alternatively, get the team that worked on the TV to have a crack at it.
Give ‘em a week. I guarantee it’ll be night and day.
I applaud the intent and desire to galvanize everyone connected with the brand: The consumers, the dealers, employees, engineers, the men and women on the line, etc.
Reiterating your purpose after a turbulent couple of decades makes perfect sense.
All the more reason then for this thing to sing not sag.
Ford, buddy, you deserve better.
Throw this out and start again.
Give me a call if you need some help.
Blokewriter 
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