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Ranger Things: Fun with the Tough 2019 Ford Ranger

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New Ford Marketing Campaign Goes After Truck Adventure Seekers

Tough 2019 Ford Ranger

Screenshot from the “Strange Creatures” ad
Photo: Ford Motor Company

If you were a seasoned adventure athlete, you probably would start your day base jumping into Arizona’s Grand Canyon or end your day by climbing snow-covered mountains in Seattle for a breath-taking view. I would settle for kayaking.

Regardless of what rigorous outdoor activity you participate in for pleasure or accomplishment, you need a vehicle to get you there. Enter the tough 2019 Ford Ranger.

Ford upped its advertising game on the new Ranger with a marketing campaign geared towards thrill seekers in nature. Check out its video ad, called “Strange Creatures.”

‘Tough has more fun’

With the help of the Outside TV network, the commercial shows several thrill seekers going toe-to-toe with danger in nature, including steep snowy mountains, deep majestic canyons, and rushing water rapids.

How they reach these exciting places with their handy equipment is with the help of the Ford Ranger. Matt VanDyke, Ford director of U.S. marketing, says that the best adventure demands the best means of transportation.


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“In this case, that’s the all-new Ford Ranger,” said VanDyke, “This campaign brings Built Ford Tough to life in the adventure space – new territory for Ford trucks – in a way that is decidedly not one-size-fits-all.”

Advertising across the country

Ford has hit cinemas, social media, and television with the ad above. Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, Phoenix, and Denver are beginning their own digital and social advertising campaigns for the Ranger.

These cities will use weather-triggered billboards that will mirror their screens to the events of rain, sleet, snow, or shine.

Behind the targeting methodology

Outside TV and Google were huge partners for Ford to find the proper gear and events to make its marketing campaign successful.

As they filtered down the cities for these hobbies through search trends, the automaker finalized the activities to focus on.


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Ford has crossed new terrain in merging location- and interest-based targeting with its truck advertising initiatives. How this endeavor affects sales for the 2019 Ford Ranger will be interesting to watch in the unfolding months.