I'm surprised that no one has brought up the new Ford TV ads that include the FEH. I can't find any documentation on Ford's web site about it. Odd, because companies usually are proud of their ads. There's nothing about on Advertising Age's web site, nor Adweek's.

I'm surprised to see the FEH advertised, since gas is down to about $2/gal. And, that story that one of the last things Bill Ford did before leaving was de-commit on 250,000 Hybrids by 2010.

Maybe this is the new guy's (Boeing's Alan Mulally) idea.

 

I have seen the new add for the Escape but I have not seen any for the Hybrid. Must keep looking.

 

It's a jumble commercial, advertising the Expedition, F-150, Freestyle (blech!) and the Escape and FEH.

It's really barely worth mentioning. The FEH remains Ford's best kept secret.

 

Out of the 2 (the FEH and the MMH,) the only vehicle I really see advertised alot on TV is the MMH

 

Mercury has two nearly identical commercials for the Mariner. One includes a quick reference to the hybrid and shows briefly the "hybrid" nameplate. The other doesn't.

 

I, too, love my FEH , and am glad to see Ford advertising it, but, trying to keep emotion out of it...

This is the first ad I recall seeing in three (and a half?) FEH model years. I don't remember ever seeing the Kermit ad.

But my question is "Why now?" Does this signal some change at Ford? "Detroit" i.e., Ford and GM, met with the President yesterday. They're looking for help. Reports indicate that Japanese automakers are "eating Detroit's lunch." Are U.S. automakers ready to seriously try something new? Are they going to get more serious about new technology or just keep singing the ridiculous Ethanol song?

When a U.S. or any conglomerate decides to try develop ads and purchase time for a sustained national campaign, that indicates a senior executive or board-level commitment.

This interesting article shows that Ford shipped fewer than 10,000 units bearing the Escape name in October out of 183,000 total Ford units. How many were Hybrids? 1000? I doubt it. Fold sold fewer Expedition units even than Escape units. Why advertise those two models?
FORD BRAND OCTOBER 2006 U.S. SALES

October Month % October CYTD %
2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change

Crown Victoria 4,465 4,203 6.2 55,257 57,061 -3.2
Five Hundred 6,010 7,915 -24.1 74,092 92,155 -19.6
Taurus 20,750 11,992 73.0 168,746 173,659 -2.8
Fusion 9,908 4,078 143.0 120,994 4,078 2867.0
Focus 11,412 8,969 27.2 152,242 164,041 -7.2
Mustang 11,786 11,234 4.9 145,055 139,719 3.8
Thunderbird 0 400 -100.0 469 9,017 -94.8
GT 102 165 -38.2 1,600 937 70.8
Total Ford Cars 64,433 48,956 31.6 718,455 640,667 12.1

Freestyle 3,297 6,707 -50.8 52,572 66,355 -20.8
Escape 9,603 9,974 -3.7 132,666 142,208 -6.7
Explorer 11,976 12,122 -1.2 155,246 209,000 -25.7
Expedition 8,553 6,047 41.4 68,759 97,825 -29.7
Excursion 0 1,165 -100.0 965 14,748 -93.5
Freestar 2,815 5,155 -45.4 47,644 69,215 -31.2
Econoline/
Club Wagon 18,662 14,210 31.3 152,053 150,011 1.4
Ranger 6,471 6,354 1.8 78,650 106,261 -26.0
F-Series 55,947 54,404 2.8 672,732 749,094 -10.2
Low Cab Forward 252 146 72.6 3,057 437 599.5
Heavy Trucks 1,179 1,026 14.9 11,582 11,283 2.7
Total Ford
Trucks 118,755 117,310 1.2 1,375,926 1,616,437 -14.9

Total Ford
Brand 183,188 166,266 10.2 2,094,381 2,257,104 -7.2

Sorry about the formatting, this Forum won't easily let me format.

I would have expected to see the ads six months ago when gas was $3/gal. (http://uspolitics.about.com/b/a/207914.htm)

 

The only FEH I've ever seen on TV (as opposed to seeking it out online via YouTube.com or Ford's website, etc.) was the Kermit "I guess it is easy being green" ad, which I believe launched during the Super Bowl.

I don't watch much television, however, so I'm not a good "weather vane" for prevalence of hybrid ads. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing a Toyota or Honda hybrid ad, other than (again) online having sought them out myself.

I do see print ads for FEH (and other hybrids) comparatively more often -- one FEH ad was in an airline in flight magazine I picked up (Frontier Airlines, if I recall); another in the EAA Oshkosh air fest official brochure, and another in a Smithsonian or similar magazine. The Toyota and Honda hybrid ads seem more prevalent than the FEH/Ford/Mariner ones, at least in the publications I read.

 

This is the only add I have seen for the FEH as well.

I haven't seen any lately from Honda. Toyota does however still advertise their hybrids. When they advertise theirs, they advertise their "Hybrid Synergy Drive" Technology then show their Highlander, Prius and Camry hybrids in profile shots.

Just as an add-on and slightly off topic subject, I did see on TV the other day that Toyota was displaying a "plug-in" hybrid version of the Camry. Though they didn't say when it would be availible.

 

I see the Escape Hybrid all the time on PBS. I watch a lot of PBS HD, and they are a sponsor for a lot of the Nature type shows. They always show the Kermit commercial.

It's actually these commercials that got me looking online about the Ford. They're not someone I thought really even had a Hybrid.

I picked mine up on Tuesday this week. So far I love it.

 

Here in Detroit there are Ford Dealers that are advertising the Escape regularly, with a tagline of highest mileage in an SUV and a picture of the Hybrid badge and its metioned. I've seen those adds quite a bit