Yes, there is an actual Emoji Jacket in the world
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Ford is all about finding unique solutions to common problems. One need look no further than the Emoji Jacket, a new invention devised as part of the Share the Road campaign to bring awareness to the dangers faced by cyclists in Europe.
So what is the Emoji Jacket? Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The prototype features a mesh display on the back that displays emojis corresponding with the cyclists’ actions. Controlled via a remote mounted to the handlebar of the bike, the jacket can display emojis that indicate mood (🙂 😐 🙁), emojis that indicate direction (⬅️ ➡️), and a hazard sign emoji (⚠️). unfortunately, the 💩 emoji does not appear to be an option available to cyclists to help them indicate when a driver is extra terrible.
“We are now living — and driving — in a world where communication is crucial. But all too often between drivers and cyclists this just comes down to the beeping of a horn or a rude gesture. Cyclists usually have to take a hand off the handlebars to communicate,” said Ford of Europe’s Emmanuel Lubrani. “The Emoji Jacket uses a universally understood means of communication to show one way in which tensions could be eased — and we all learn to ‘Share The Road.’”
Ford does not intend to bring the Emoji Jacket to production. Does the world deserve an Emoji Jacket? Depends on your interpretation of “deserves,” I guess.
Staying Safe: The various driver-assistive features offered on the Ford F-150
The pickup truck emoji lives!
Ford’s concept for a pickup truck emoji looks a bit different from the real thing
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Speaking of emojis, Ford fulfilled a prophecy several months in the making with the news that the pickup truck emoji is being added to Unicode 13.0 and Emoji 13.0 this year. Ford’s Mike Levine shared the good news via Twitter in January:
In response to the announcement, Chevy Trucks’ Twitter account attempted to take a jab at Ford by implying it would have gotten a better emoji approved? Or something? It’s like the Chevy Trucks Twitter account manager though they were working for Wendy’s for a hot second.
In any case, whether it looks like a branded truck or a generic one, Ford at least deserves partial credit for bringing the pickup truck emoji to life. Haterz gonna hate.
Ford’s Pickup Truck Supremacy: How the Ford F-150 beats the Chevy Silverado 1500 head-to-head
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.
