Ford has launched an in-depth ad campaign for the 2015 F-150 pickup, which features a much-touted lighter aluminum body.
Calling the new truck its "toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever," Ford is highlighting the F-150's strength and innovation in commercials that will air during college games Thursday and the championship game on Jan. 12.
The three new ads are "Forward March," a 1-minute spot to introduce the refreshed F-150; "What's Next," which spotlights tech innovations including a remote tailgate release and a 360-degree camera system; and "Move It," which showcases the F-150's towing capability of up to 12,200 pounds.
"The forward movement, innovation and spirit of progress embodied in these ads will resonate with truck customers for whom productivity, making a difference and building a legacy is so important," Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager, said in a statement.
Even though the updated model is 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor, Ford is focusing on the truck's durability and performance in the first three television ads for the F-150, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The automaker's best-selling model, the Ford F-150 brings in an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 gross profit for each truck sold, constituting 90 percent of the company's automotive earnings worldwide, according to Bloomberg.
Ford is investing in more TV spots for the F-150, including a commercial highlighting its fuel economy that is slated for the new year. The automaker announced mileage ratings for the new F-150 in late November; the version equipped with a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 engine gets 19 miles per gallon in the city, 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined.
The ad emphasizing improved fuel economy had to wait on confirmation of the F-150's mileage figures from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The most fuel-efficient version of the 2014 Ford F-150 gets 16 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg combined, according to EPA-estimated ratings.
The Dearborn, Mich.-headquartered automaker took a risk by redesigning the popular F-150, which is the first high-volume production model with an aluminum body. Retrofitting Ford's Dearborn, Mich., plant and Claycomo, Miss., facility to produce the new pickup line is costing the company $1 billion.
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