Ford Kicks Off High-Energy Taurus Ad Campaign Focusing on Technology, Innovation,...

Ford Kicks Off High-Energy Taurus Ad Campaign Focusing on Technology,
Innovation, Style
- 2010 Ford Taurus advertising campaign debuts Aug. 4, targeting discerning
consumers with a high-tech, detail-oriented focus on technology, innovation
and style

DEARBORN, Mich., July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ford's (NYSE: F) all-new
technology-packed 2010 Taurus will have a multifaceted advertising campaign
that will be as high-tech as the highly anticipated sedan now arriving in
dealer showrooms.

Ford kicks off the advertising campaign for Taurus on Aug. 4, with an
aggressive Web presence and a new Microsoft "tag" system that will allow
consumers to simply point their Smart Phones toward barcodes printed next to
technology features in Taurus ads for more in-depth information.

With more than 20 high-tech technologies to communicate on the new Taurus,
some even industry firsts and 10 of them class-exclusive, Taurus takes on
communicating these technologies "smartly" and with a new approach to
advertising.

"The convenience and ability to offer customers additional information at the
touch of their mobile device speaks volumes on how technologically advanced
the new Taurus is," said Matt VanDyke, Ford marketing director. "This
high-tech marketing process will showcase the attention to detail that
customers shopping for Taurus will appreciate."

Taurus ads debuting on prime-time network and cable channels will show
customers how the new sedan offers the quality and technology of world-class
luxury sedans with a much more affordable price tag.

The 2010 Taurus, starting at $25,995, the same price as the 2009 model, has
been completely redesigned and elevated from its forerunners and includes Ford
exclusives such as MyKey(TM), SYNC(R), Multi-Contour Seats with Active
Motion(TM) and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS(R)).

"Taurus is the right sedan for the times," said Jim Farley, group vice
president of Global Marketing. "This is the perfect car to showcase our
commitment to engineering excellence and precision. It's the ideal car to
show what Ford is capable of."

Special car for a unique set of customers
With a vehicle that has so much going for it - superior engineering,
class-leading technologies, impeccable driving dynamics - Ford creative team
members charged with marketing the 2010 Taurus were in the enviable position
of having many positive attributes from which to choose.

Today, the 2010 Taurus is being marketed toward a very specific customer - a
value-oriented "substance seeker" who appreciates a heightened attention to
detail and is looking for the latest innovations without having to break his
or her bank account. Ford has developed a new way of catching this consumer's
attention by using detail-oriented ads that speak a visual language this group
appreciates. They watch, they listen and they spread the word.

"This is a whole new approach to using 'word of mouth' that will showcase our
fantastic new Taurus," VanDyke said. "Just as Taurus is reshaping the idea of
what a sedan can be, this campaign will reshape how people learn about
Taurus."

High-energy advertising complements re-energized Taurus
The campaign will include three broadcast spots focusing on some of the
leading Taurus technologies including BLIS(R), SYNC(R) and EcoBoost(TM). To
showcase the advanced technologies, each spot begins focusing on the intricacy
of the details before bringing to light the bigger picture.

For instance, a high-tech concept, like Ford's sophisticated EcoBoost(TM)
twin-turbocharged, direct-injection engine technology begins to explain it
graphically as the ad pulls out an illustration of the engine and then uses a
"see and say" graphic, wrapping the narrated words around the illustration
itself before ending on dynamic running footage of the Taurus.

"It's our job to take the technology to consumers, and demonstrate how it can
improve their overall experience behind the wheel," said Farley. "Everything
we do in this campaign is designed to draw people in and entice them to learn
more about the Taurus, online or in our dealerships."

The Web challenge
Online, the technology and quality of Taurus is brought to life in five short,
dramatic Webisodes that showcase particular features against those of
significantly higher-priced luxury sedans.

For instance, can the paint quality of the Taurus stand up to a $70,000 Lexus?
Why not put them both behind a gravel truck and find out?

These Webisodes, which form the digital aspect of the campaign, will debut on
www.fordvehicles.com and showcase the advanced technologies that put Taurus on
par with world-class sedans in a minute and a half.

"We aren't trying to put Taurus in a luxury market - that's not the point of
these," said Jonathan Beebe of the Ford digital launch integration team. "Our
goal is to say, 'You're not going to believe this is a Taurus. Look at the
technology in this. Look at the quality. Why consider anything else in this
segment?' "

Tag it's yours
Customers with Smart Phones will be able to find out more information on
Taurus' most advanced technologies by scanning "tags" in Taurus print ads.

This new tagging system by Microsoft creates an individual barcode for each
technology that can be captured by any Smart Phone. Once it captures an image
of the tag it will load animations, additional information and images of that
particular technology directly to the consumer's mobile device.

Telling the Taurus story through many outlets
The 2010 Ford Taurus advertising campaign is designed to build on the momentum
Ford has gained from the success of the debuts of F-150, Mustang and Fusion
earlier this year.

Ford is aiming at a customer segment that leans toward a male demographic,
VanDyke said, so many of the media placements are geared toward activities
primarily associated with men -NASCAR, NCAA, Fantasy Football and even the
NFL. But that doesn't mean Taurus might not pop up where it's least expected.

"This campaign, like the Taurus, is all about innovation," Farley said. "We
want people to take a look, and then take a look again."

Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn,
Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With
about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's
automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company

Marisa Bradley, +1-313-845-3971, mbradl31@ford.com, or Said Deep,
+1-313-594-0942, sdeep@ford.com, both of Ford Motor Company