Brand Story We Love: Ford’s Poolside Parody

The Ford C-Max Engergi parody of the much talked-about Cadillac “Poolside” ad is brilliant — because it’s everything the original isn’t.

And that’s a win for Ford:
Cadillac’s ad stars an actor, Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers), and the script reflects values that are increasingly at odds with those of a growing number of Americans.

Criticisms we have heard about the ad for Cadillac, a GM brand, is that the ad is characterized by a sense of entitlement, American Exceptonalism, materialism and arrogance.

GM under the microscope:
GM is facing bigger problems having been hauled before Congress to explain its failure to recall cars with a known flaw resulting in more than a dozen deaths which could have been prevented by a part that cost under 60 cents.

But back to the matter at hand:
The Ford parody stars a real person, Pashon Murray from Detroit, working every bit as hard as the character in the Cadillac ad, but with values that contribute to the community.

Good parody is hard:
Ford made it look easy. They turned an unpopular ad on its head and let it speak for their values by showcasing their customers doing important things, right down the choices they make about what car to drive.

People align with values, not with stuff. And the values that anchored the Ford Parody clearly set them apart from Cadilac, and gave the many people left with a bad taste in their mouth from the original a brand story to love.