The Challenge

Ford launched the second-generation Focus in December 2004 with a multimedia extravaganza. The challenge was to ensure that the UK’s most popular family car for the last six years continued to top the sales league.

The activity kicked off with online and DM before adding the national press, TV and outdoor cinema and lifestyle magazines.

The Estate was due to launch at the end of March and to raise interest in this edition, the company developed the idea of allowing viewers to be one of the first owners of the car over the Easter weekend.

The TV Solution

ITV1 viewers were given the chance to win a Ford Focus Estate and find out the results simply by continuing to watch the channel. The winners would find out the same evening if they were in the running for the big prize to be announced on Monday March 28.

Each day the campaign kicked off with a 30-second brand commercial running first in break in peak followed by a 30-second ad at the end of the break letting viewers know about the competition.

The second ad asked a question related to the brand commercial and prompted viewers to either text in the answer, call or press the red button if they had digital TV.

Entrants would have to communicate words that matched key brand messages from the ad if they wanted to win the car.

Later the same evening viewers saw a 30-second brand commercial followed by a 10-second spot revealing the name of the winner.

The daily winners from March 25, March 26 and March 27 were all entered into the grand draw on Bank Holiday Monday with the announcement of the lucky car winner.

The activity was supported by online at ITV.com and at the Ford website and other Focus activity was running on other TV channels. The competition was also promoted with an article in The Sun on Good Friday.

Results

The campaign used a live graphic overlay to give viewers feedback on the evening’s competition. It helped keep the audience glued to ITV1 and the ad-breaks by providing a reason not to change channels as well as promoting the arrival of the new Ford Focus Estate.

The competition reached more than 20m adults and the competition generated more than 50,000 responses – with most coming via text.

“Building on the already successful launch of the all new Ford Focus, this ground-breaking competition targeted large family audiences over the Easter holiday period in a unique and engaging way while guiding viewers from one ad to the next. Ford were delighted to be at the forefront of pioneering innovation. The response mechanism also supplied valuable sales leads."
Paul Whelan, business director, MindShare