Mid-Life Wish List: 50 Things to See at 50, in the 2015 Ford Mustang
If you could go anywhere and do anything, in a Mustang, what would your itinerary look like?
That was the question Ford had when the car maker sat down to plan the campaign to launch the 50th anniversary Mustang.
“We could focus on the powertrain and the technology” in the Mustang, said Jim Farley, Ford’s head of global marketing, who noted that the car’s power and ability are world class. But the magic of the Mustang is more about “what it’s like to be on a road trip with no schedule, to be free.”
For Mustang, it’s all about the lifestyle the car affords its drivers.
And those drivers are increasingly more adventurous; as we get older we are more likely to be bolder in our choices, Ford found in a recent survey. Interestingly, becoming a parent inspires people to feel more comfortable with adventurous choices. After all, there’s nothing like one-handed diaper changes for a wiggly toddler while holding an infant to make you feel as if you can do anything.
To set the stage for the roll-out of the model, which will start to make its way into dealer showrooms this month, Ford wanted to inspire a greater journey. So the auto maker announced that its marketing campaign will do just that: inspire adventure. To pinpoint one-of-a-kind adventure, Ford has assembled a group of leading culture experts.
The campaign, called Icon 50, will craft an iconic list of people and places to inspire a sense of adventure. Ford will roll out the Icon 50 list, a wish-list of itineraries and celebration of people with no connection to the car, but rather, known for self expression and accomplishment. Ford will stage events based on the list, with announcements coming later this month.
Ford’s culture panel includes Brian Balthazar, comedian and producer of ABC’s The View, Tim and Nina Zagat, founder of the Zagat series of food and culture guides, Matt Watts, director of music and marketing at Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, Scott Burton, executive editor of ESPN the Magazine and Lauren Drell, editor at Mashable. Each will contribute insight to the Icon 50 list and aid Ford in creating the unique and iconic experiences that, it believes, is best seen from behind the wheel of a Mustang.
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