Ford Announces First Global Brand Redesign Since 2012

Ford Motor Company is launching a new worldwide brand marketing campaign for the first time since 2012. The campaign aims to show the globe how Ford prioritizes its customers and communities in addition to advertising its cars.

Starting on September 10, a 60-second spot titled “Anthem” will debut on television and other platforms in the United States as the first part of the “Ready, Set, Ford” campaign.

A man running as fast as he can, Ford Mustang race cars racing down a track, a Ford F-150 pickup that ends up off-road to capture a stray bull, and a brief cut of two people in a Ford Bronco off-roading in an exotic location—where they end up cliff diving—are among the action shots in the commercial.

“Someone once said, ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right,'” the announcer says as the commercial comes to a close. Next, “Ready, Set, Ford” appears.

About 122 years ago, Henry Ford, the founder of the automaker with its headquarters in Dearborn, was the “someone” who said that line.

“This campaign is more than just advertising,” Lisa Materazzo, the Global Chief Marketing Officer for Ford, told the Detroit Free Press. It is intended to communicate to the world Ford’s transformation from a product-first to a human-first business that highlights features of Ford that go beyond its automobiles and demonstrate how Ford fits various kinds of lifestyles.

According to Materazzo, the purpose of the Anthem spot, which will launch the campaign, is to communicate that something new is occurring at Ford.

“What we want to do is orient toward our consumers. We want to speak more directly to our consumers and the role that Ford can play in their lives, rather than making a declarative statement about Ford,” Materazzo said. “We believe that ‘Ready, Set, Ford’ is an invitation, it’s a bit of a catalyst, to give consumers that spark and inspiration they need to tackle whatever lies ahead of them.”

Showing customers Ford’s capability

“Ready, Set, Ford” will be launched globally by the first quarter of 2026, according to Materazzo, with the bulk of Ford’s other markets receiving it by the fourth quarter.

Ford will begin releasing more targeted messages in October following the release of the Anthem commercial, which will highlight the company’s experiences, services, and goods “that really bring to life our capability, our passion, and our commitment to community,” according to Materazzo.

For example, Ford may use G.O.A.T Mode in targeted advertisements to highlight the capabilities of its SUVs. Goes Over Any Type of Terrain is what G.O.A.T. Mode is all about. The Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport models have a technology that allows the driver to choose various terrain settings using a dial, modifying the steering, handling, and powertrain according on the conditions.

“Other things that would really be examples would be Pro Power Onboard,” Materazzo said. “That allows you to power a job site, to power some electronics that you may have or accessories you may have while camping. All of those things speak directly to capability.”

As to her statement, these “proof points” in Ford’s main goals “show how we show up for consumers, how we help them in the lifestyles they’re pursuing.”

This year, Ford’s largest campaign

According to Materazzo, the company’s final worldwide campaign in 2012 was called “Go Further.” Because it is an invitation or a “catalyst” to encourage customers to “tackle whatever lies ahead of them,” Ford intended to call this one “Ready, Set, Ford.”

According to Materazzo, this is Ford’s largest marketing effort and endeavor this year, yet the company does not disclose its marketing budget. Its “From America, For America” ad campaign, which promoted employee pricing on the majority of its automobiles, was a success earlier this year.

Materazzo stated that the rollout is scheduled at the ideal moment. The industry must contend with President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported autos and parts, which Ford estimates will cost it around $2 billion this year, as well as the unpredictable demand for EVs when the federal tax credit expires on September 30. And there’s still an overall unease about the economy.

“This disruption or uncertainty in the marketplace could last for a bit longer and it’s a great time for us to have that sharper focus and positioning in the marketplace to speak to consumers and make it very clear of what we represent,” Materazzo said. “The optimism and resilance, that’s in our DNA and embedded in this campaign, is really important to communicate and it’s actually something that we’ve not leveraged consistently in our previous advertising.”