Along Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, you can always tell when a brand new unaffordable, dope-ass sneaker is about to drop as there will be a line that stretches for blocks outside of the store. Now, Ford and BBDO New York are clearly hoping for the same effect as they have just launched a new activation for the all-electric Mustang Mach-E.
Treating it like a piece of “merch” (merchandise for you old folks) the automaker literally “dropped” opportunities to order a coveted Mustang Mach-E First Edition—and consumer interest is unprecedented.
And wait for it. The new activation ain’t no merch drop. It’s a Mach drop.
Taking a Page from Yeezy and Beyonce
The Ford Mustang Brand has never been shy of disrupting the status quo, but this effort might be a first for an automaker. “Mach Drop” sees Ford offering a small number of Mustang Mach-E First Editions in three of its most popular colorways, not through traditional channels, but rather by dropping them via some of the Internet’s most popular celebrities and platforms.
“It’s more and more common to see exclusive product drops for things like special edition sneakers and watches, or unannounced album drops from the likes of Beyonce. But we’ve never seen it done before with a vehicle,” said Matt VanDyke, Director, Ford Marketing.
- Ford’s approach to marketing the additional (small) batch of all-electric Mustang Mach-E First Editions is disrupting the auto market
- Reservations were full for the First Edition after its reveal in November 2019. This drop is a new allotment as the official order bank closed on August 1st.
- Sets out to reach its trend-forward customers in a culturally relevant way
- Is a “scrappy” organic campaign with no paid media support
Idris Elba drops Mustang Mach-E First Editions on Instagram
The effort began on Friday (8/21) when celebrity influencer Idris Elba announced the first drop of First Editions in the Grabber Blue colorway on Instagram, leading fans to Ford’s pagefor details on how to order one of the exclusive vehicles.
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Uncrate and Vaughn Gittin Jr. offer up Mustang Mach-E First Editions in Carbonized Gray
On Monday (8/24), a small stash of Mustang Mach-E First Editions in Carbonized Gray dropped on Uncrate—a leading men’s shopping site featuring fashion-forward gear and products. Fans were driven to the experience by professional driver Vaughn Gittin Jr., as well as extensive support from Uncrate.
Visitors can click on the First Edition listing to register their interest in the vehicle and to be contacted by a Ford Concierge to discuss placing an order.
Ford drop Rapid Red First Editions on Spotify, unannounced
The final drop goes live (today) Friday (8/28) on Spotify: a small stash of Mustang Mach-E First Editions in the Rapid Red colorway. The drop coincides with the release of EDM artist Matthew Dear’s new single “New Breed,” which itself is inspired by the drive sounds of the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Fans are prompted to search for the “Mach Drop” playlist, on the Ford Spotify channel, which contains Mustang and electric-inspired tracks, including a hidden clue that reveals the phone number to order the highly sought-out vehicle.
Early Results
Ford revealed its first-ever all electric Mustang—the Mustang Mach-E First Edition—last November. Reservations for the new all-electric SUV were completely full in just eight days, leaving many consumers clamoring for a First Edition.
- Purchase inquiries have been flooding in through concierge lines and emails
- Online chatter within Mustang Mach-E Forums is at a peak as fans debate which of the unique colorways to buy
- Autoblog even picked up on the effort, stating “Ford is marketing this like an exclusive merch drop, akin to something Supreme might do with items in short supply. It’s a bit weird, and it isn’t something we’ve seen Ford attempt in the past.”
Is Ford the first automaker to “drop” merch in this way?
To our knowledge—yes.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Ford
AGENCY: BBDO, New York
- Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide: David Lubars
- Executive Creative Director: Philip Sicklinger
- Executive Creative Director: Alex Booker
- Group Creative Director: Rob Kurfehs
- Creative Director/Art: James Salanitri
- Creative Director/Copy: Brian Kunath
- Associate Creative Director/Art: Frederick Orlando
- EVP, NA Business Lead: Joe DiMeglio
- SVP, Group Account Director: Liz Boone
- Account Supervisor: Allison Piper
- Senior Project Manager: Michael Green
- Planner: Philip De Meulemeester
- Planner: Joseph Castagna
- Head of Tactile Innovation: Vishal Dheiman
- EVP, Group Executive Producer: Diane Hill
- Executive Producer: Katie Young
- Partner Relations: Sami Kriegstein Jacobson
- Production Services Director: Jess Nugent
CONCIERGE PARTNER: OneMagnify
SOCIAL AGENCY: GTB
EXPERIENTIAL AGENCY: GMR
PR Agency: Ketchum
SOURCE: BBDO
