Ford Australia highlights its new SYNC technology with John Farnham’s ‘You’re the Voice’ in new campaign via JWT Melbourne
Ford Australia, via JWT Melbourne, today debuts a new campaign to officially launch its SYNC connectivity platform in the Australian market – enlisting none other than Australian music legend, John Farnham, and his iconic “You’re the Voice” anthem to highlight the technology’s voice control.
The TVC campaign begins with a 60-second spot and features a young couple stuck in traffic. To lighten the mood, they look to turn on some music. With a press of the SYNC button on the steering wheel, the woman introduces her partner to the power of voice connectivity. The scene around the car fades to black, and the opening chords of “You’re the Voice” begin to play as Farnham begins to serenade the couple with his classic hit.
Farnham then disappears and the scene re-focuses on the couple in the car. Having experienced a “SYNC revelation,” the man uses his voice to get the SYNC system to play “You’re the Voice.” The song comes through the speakers of the car and the couple drives off.
The campaign will run for five weeks with a mix of 60-second and 30-second spots.
While the TVC has just kicked off, the campaign officially started more than a week ago with an unbranded, grassroots activation featuring “flash mobs” of Farnham look-a-likes. The groups appeared all over Melbourne and Sydney to sing a few stances of “You’re the Voice,” and then disappeared into the crowd.
Videos of the flash mobs have been shared across social media platforms to help generate talkability and intrigue about the brand. To date, the content created has had a reach of more than 750,000 eyeballs.
Australian drivers have already started to experience the hands-free technology of SYNC, powered by Microsoft, in the Ford Focus. Customers can connect their compatible mobile phone or digital media player via Bluetooth and USB connection respectively and then use either steering wheel-mounted controls or voice commands to manage SYNC’s features.
SYNC can recognise up to 150 voice commands and cope with variations in accents and vocabulary, making it easier to access more content by voice.
Says David Katic, general marketing manager for Ford Australia: “Ford is committed to creating smart technologies that make the lives of our Ford drivers a little bit easier – and our SYNC system is just one example. It can be done simply with voice. SYNC enables customers to safely and conveniently make phone calls or play their favourite music using voice commands.
“By bringing the SYNC platform to life with John’s iconic song, our goal was to catch people by surprise and get them to think differently about our brand. We hope it encourages people to learn more about it.”
SYNC connectivity is a key part of Ford’s line up moving forward. The system is currently in the Focus and Focus ST but will be rolled out across other new vehicles in the future.
Says Richard Muntz, executive creative director of JWT Melbourne: “The human voice is the next game changing technology. And Ford puts it into your car with SYNC. Its launch was a huge opportunity for Ford to take a leadership position in the auto industry.”
Client – Ford
Creative Agency – JWT
Executive Creative Director – Richard Muntz
Creative Directors – Brendon Guthrie, Tim Holmes, Jim Ritchie, Rob Beamish
Producer – Sherry Harvey
Business Director – Michael McConville
Senior Account Manager – David Noonan
Production Agency – The Sweet Shop
Director – Special Problems
Executive Producer – Wilf Sweetland
Producer – Tracy Proposch
Social Agency – Present Company
Client Director – Axel Moline
Managing Director – Marty Wirth
Digital Director – Arturo Escartin
Media Agency – Mindshare
Digital Agency – Wunderman
PR – Pulse
24 Comments
I caught this on TV last night. A shocker and Farnham freaked me out. Hate to think how much they payed for him.
why would you PR this crap? seriously, brands still using flash mobs to try and get a few views on youtube?? never ever works..telstra spent a bomb for their 4G launch bringing rebecca black and others here for ‘live’ performances on the streets of sydney…20 people saw them and each had a couple of thousand views of youtube….fail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTY9hOeNJDM
Not only did they do a shit ad. They did a flashmob.
Advertising’s lowest point.
poo
How many creative directors does it take to polish a big, stinky, steaming turd?
I like it
I like it too.
For such a potentially interesting feature, I’m not sure the ideal solution was (in effect) a bad pun on “voice” and lavishly lining Mr Farnham’s pockets. Just seems like a missed opportunity.
Ditto the scepticism on flash mobs – if you’re going to do this at all, then the content it generates needs to be spectacularly shareworthy. This just looks like a few blonde students from some obscure Scandinavian university wearing graduation gowns and too many beers.
Can it get any worse/.
Just awful on just about every level.
But because the nature of advertising works in mysterious ways (often for none of the intended reasons), this will probably still register with the audience and all of those many people on the list will give themselves a tick well done.
The ad is bad enough, but the flash mobs (which clearly had no impact on the public) are just embarrassing.
And of course, if you can’t do funny (very few in advertising can truly do it), do something else. Especially when you have got enough money to afford Farnsey.
And why PR this stuff as if you expect people to be positive about it. Surely those involved in its creation know in their gut that it’s rubbish.
I like it, but could’ve done without the flash mobs.
sorry to say. I find it overdone. Not funny in the slightest.
Would have loved to have seen Jim and Rob hand this over to Brendon and Tim as they switched offices at JWT and DDB. I wonder if they added the flash mob bit before or after they resigned?
Snuff movies. Disturbingly bad.
The flash mob content has a total combined view count of about 1,000 views.
Which other ‘social media platforms’ have delivered the remaining 749,000?
At least John Farnham’s had a haircut.
The TV spot’s fun. Flash mob not so fun.
This is pretty damn lame.
yeah, misses the mark by quite a bit. shame, because you won’t get a chance like that again.
Very annoying ad! And unbelievable because young people don’t listen to John Farnham!
Only in Australia could something this risible make it to air.
Its a shocker, Farnham looks like he is haunting the car. Like the ghost of christmas past or something.
Guys.. guys, guys listen.. i have the best ide.. guys listen..
i have the best idea ever.. I’ll put JOHN FARNHAM
guys, john farnham,
i’ll put john FARNHAM guys listen here i’ll put JOHN FARNHAM in my CAR commercial.