When even your damage control is out of control, you’re in the catbird seat for the slow-motion crash that is the American automotive industry. Waiting desperately for a click of my mouse — aside a CBS web report indicating that Richard Armitage “feels terrible” “every day” about having “let down the President” and “Mr. and Mrs. Wilson” (!) — is a Ford advertisement, one which you may have seen lately, too. The headline? BOLD MOVES. The text? “A video documentary series that takes you INSIDE FORD as it attempts one of the largest corporate turnarounds in history.”
The drama! The passion! The — wait, attempts the turnaround? Video documentary? A click on this link takes you to a full-blown publicity campaign — sorry, internet documentary — “documenting the future of Ford.” (I knew it wasn’t a documentary.) It’s replete with exhortations to “tell a friend,” “blog it,” (!!) and “engage, debate, and get involved in what’s happening at Ford right now.”
Well, foax, here’s my officially-encouraged e-debate involvement: Ford’s spin is not only transparent but useless to the point of harm and probably also achingly expensive. The whole approach will never, ever persuade me to buy a Ford that I otherwise wouldn’t buy. The Mustang sells itself, guys. Ponder that one. Please. As for this “bold” campaign? Two words: blog fodder.
