Have You Trolled Ford Lately?

Brands these days want to do all they can to connect with rich, tech savvy Millennials. They key to this newer, hipper generation is “engagement” with brands on the Internet and on social media.

As technology progressed in recent decades, marketers and brands have shifted towards an interactive experience, where the user can customize something that makes it seem less like, well, an ad.

Enter Ford, which has a new “Ford by Design” campaign:

Ford is asking consumers to design artwork for digital billboards that will go up in major cities across the country, from Times Square to the San Francisco Bay Bridge. “We wanted consumers to experience and be a part of our brand in a unique way,” said Lisa Schoder, Ford digital marketing manager. “By showcasing what our consumers’ vehicles mean to them, we have made their individual expressions the driving message of our campaign.”… To create a one-of-a-kind design, the consumer will go to www.FordByDesign.com on their computer or smartphone and select one of six major cities and their car of choice, along with an assortment of colors and effects to complete the artwork. When the user’s creation is submitted, Ford will then display it to a billboard in the city chosen by the artist. Along with the user’s design, the billboard will also display the artist’s first name and hometown.

Here in Washington, where traditional billboards are a rarity, the ads are popping up at bus stop digital billboards, which change every minute or so to engage patient transit riders. When completing your work—really an ingenious way to capture peoples’ email addresses to sell them cars—Ford brags: “When your work appears in the city of your choice, it’ll even be signed. Your first name and last initial will appear on your artwork, along with your hometown.”

A TWS tipster spotted a prankster in our midst with some unkind words for the president: