Super Bowl television spots are a tradition for many major industries. When the big game rolls around each year, leading American companies go all-out for meaningful, high-budget, or particularly amusing television ads all designed with one specific goal in mind: sell, sell, sell. This year, the Ford Motor Company is doing something a little different.
This weekend, the famed automaker won’t bother making Super Bowl commercials. Instead, the Blue Oval brand is using that ad money to promote its #FinishStrong campaign in high-risk areas like California, Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.
Earlier this year, Ford debuted its #FinishStrong television spot, a 30-second public call to action which was created by acclaimed filmmaker Peter Berg, who is known for films like Friday Night Lights, Patriots Day, and Lone Survivor.
The campaign, which is narrated by award-winning actor Bryan Cranston, makes it a point to call on the American people’s capacity to persevere even in the face of adversity, especially as the nation draws nearer to the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.
During Super Bowl LV, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 7, Ford will air an extended, 60-second version of this television spot, which is expected to take in an estimated 325 million views.
“The data shows that we can save a lot of lives in the coming months by coming together as Americans and protecting each other. Our mission is to inspire people to stay safe. There is no bigger platform to do so than Super Bowl LV,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group.
“Together with Ford Motor Company Fund, we’re also giving out more than 25 million medical-grade masks in some of the hardest-hit areas to make it easier for people to help protect each other.”
Ford expected to continue its airing this #FinishStrong campaign in key hotspot areas through the end of February. Beginning on February 18,, the company will begin hosting multiple mask distribution days at local Ford dealers, nonprofits, and in communities across the U.S. in a concentrated effort to provide for areas with limited access to personal protective equipment.