Look to the builders. In times of strife and divisiveness, look to the people who don’t give up on their principles, but build on them. Because this country isn’t built on brick and steel – it’s built on the strength of all of us, working together.
That message of unity is paramount in “Builders,” the new spot in Ford’s Built for America campaign, which highlights Ford’s unique position as the top assembler of vehicle in America and largest employer of U.S. hourly autoworkers. The newest ad underscores Ford’s solid 117-year history and the need for solidarity in the face of change.
“In tough times, Ford and our country have always come together and built things – vehicles, tanks, even relationships,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group. “This spot shows from our perspective where our nation should focus – on the fixers, the builders, the ones who can bring us together.”
The 60-second piece, directed by Stacy Wall and produced by Wieden+Kennedy New York, will air Saturday, Jan. 16 on Fox during college basketball, which begins at noon. It can also be seen throughout the day on CBS Sports, ESPN, Discovery and cable channels including Hallmark, HGTV, Nat Geo, The Food Network, DIY, Great American Country, The Science Channel and Motor Trend Network. The spot is narrated by award-winning actor Bryan Cranston. See it here.
The spot comes on the heels of Ford’s recent public call to action, a piece titled #FinishStrong created by acclaimed filmmaker Peter Berg, known for “Friday Night Lights,” “Patriots Day,” and “Lone Survivor.” That spot, released at the end of 2020, was designed to offer inspiration to Americans doing their best to stay vigilant and protect themselves and others as the COVID-19 vaccine is rolled out across the country.
Ford has been a leader in COVID mitigation efforts since April of 2020 and one of the first manufacturers to pivot toward making personal protective equipment (PPE). To date, Ford has manufactured 55 million masks and will hit 100 million masks for donations by mid-2021.
The company, in partnership with the UAW, has produced tens of millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet the strong demand. These include:
- 20 million face shields
- 50,000 patient ventilators
- More than 32,000 powered air-purifying respirators in collaboration with 3M
- 1.4 million washable isolation gowns
Throughout its 117-year history, Ford has stepped up in moments of global crisis, including creating iron lungs in the polio epidemic and leading the Arsenal of Democracy in WWII. Ford’s latest effort builds on the company’s support for those affected by the pandemic – from creating programs allowing customers to defer car payments to transforming its plants to make ventilators.
In collaboration with the UAW and Ford Motor Company Fund, Ford also has donated more than 50 million face masks to nonprofit organizations, state and local officials, first responders, schools and underserved communities in all 50 states. Details are available at FordFund.org.
“Ford’s strong bond with America continues to grow stronger,” said Galhotra. “We’ll always speak up to let our customers know where we stand – and we’ll always be in their corner.”
SOURCE: Ford
