Classic Ford TV Commercials

[DFB FGXR6]

I had a look but couldn't see an existing thread for this topic. For some reason, at the moment I'm feeling very nostalgic for the AU Falcon era.

The following TV commercial popped up in my Instagram feed today, funny how they know exactly what I'm thinking. Circa 1998/1999, the commercial was based around the XR6 VCT sedan, arguably the most sophisticated version of the AU Falcon as it got the 172-kW version of the new VCT engine (Fairmont Ghia and Fairlane used a 168-kW version with a quieter exhaust), the Adaptive Shift 4-speed auto and the brilliant sport-tuned double wishbone IRS. This particular car was heavily optioned with 17-inch Tickford wheels, Tickford body kit with the Bi-Plane spoiler and a Momo steering wheel.

Performance technology that's ahead of itself..................



Quiz Time - Can anyone explain the link between the tag line and the visual?

When the TV commercial was made, Ford didn't offer the AU XR6/XR8 in silver, which would have been Alaskan Frost. Story was, Ford kept getting requests for silver XR's as depicted in the commercial. Eventually, AU series one XR sedans and utes were later offered in the new Liquid Silver, which replaced Alaskan Frost. For the AU II, Ford went on to use Liquid Silver for a lot of the marketing images for the XR8.

[None-ya]

Jet engine sound effect is used yet it shows the mighty AU doing 100k/h. Lol

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by None-ya

Jet engine sound effect is used yet it shows the mighty AU doing 100k/h. Lol

No, next guess..............

[DFB FGXR6]

This was the original AU Falcon launch commercial.



This commercial is quite strange to me. Usually, a car company will pick a flagship model to fully showcase the vehicle, but for some reason, they used the base model Forte sedan for this commercial. Even weirder, they depict the Forte having IRS, which was actually a factory option, but how many people or fleet managers paid the extra $1400 for IRS on a Forte, which also required the $990 ABS option?

The above would be the equivalent of Ford using the XL single cab chassis Ranger with an alloy tray to advertise the Ranger today..................yeah, because they would rather sell low profit povo models over the overpriced show ponies. Different times, or just another example of Ford's lack of awareness when it came to the AU Falcon and how the public perceived it?

I was only just getting into cars when the AU Falcon launched and have very little recognition of this commercial at the time. However, I do remember it being used as an into to the documentary they funded for the 75th Anniversary of Ford Australia. Same for the XR6 commercial in the opening post. Watched that DVD many, many times.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/33502069...oZwEOMF1d-qEHy

[DFB FGXR6]

Continuing on the AU theme, the AU Fairlane was launched in March 1999, followed by the LTD in June 1999. A total of 5129 AU Fairlanes and 438 LTD's were made between Mar-1999 and May-2000.



Rounding out the AU launch was the new AU Falcon Ute in June 1999. Where the sedans failed to gain traction, the Ute was incredibly successful for Ford. At the time, Ford were making some great TV commercials for the Ute................





The following were made later, no way these would fly in todays PC culture.

Always loved this one. "Falcon Ute! It's Unbelievable!"



"Must be stuck in third..................
"




And while we are on Falcon Ute, the following is my favorite, only because of the last couple of seconds when that Boss 260 started to roar..................



Quiz Time - Can anyone pick what's incorrect about the Phantom Purple XR8 used in this commercial?

[uranium_death]

Ford Laser from the 90s. In my family, I was effectively the .3 (I'm the younger twin), and I looked like this kid as well. My older brother constantly reminded me that I was a twerp.


youtu.be/jNNIJBiSyAs?si=sEwufj2qVz1nRuh



Edit: How do I get these videos to work? What's the secret?

[Adamz Ghia]

From AU onwards they really knew how to advertise the ute. They were always the best commercials.

I thought the We Have Ignition campaign always copped an undeserved hammering. It was a theme right across the range and you always knew who the commercials belonged to before the Ford badge popped up. And the commercials for it were pretty good too.

https://youtu.be/csG21kJBNjA?si=rsbShYmywpxvWlW_

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Continuing on the AU theme, the AU Fairlane was launched in March 1999, followed by the LTD in June 1999. A total of 5129 AU Fairlanes and 438 LTD's were made between Mar-1999 and May-2000.



Rounding out the AU launch was the new AU Falcon Ute in June 1999. Where the sedans failed to gain traction, the Ute was incredibly successful for Ford. At the time, Ford were making some great TV commercials for the Ute................





The following were made later, no way these would fly in todays PC culture.

Always loved this one. "Falcon Ute! It's Unbelievable!"



"Must be stuck in third..................
"




And while we are on Falcon Ute, the following is my favorite, only because of the last couple of seconds when that Boss 260 started to roar..................



Quiz Time - Can anyone pick what's incorrect about the Phantom Purple XR8 used in this commercial?

The bonnet has the original bulge.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

The bonnet has the original bulge.

We have a winner!


I always loved that original bulge, made the car look even more aggressive. I think they had to smooth it out because it created more drag for the race cars. A number of pre-production press images used those hoods.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

From AU onwards they really knew how to advertise the ute. They were always the best commercials.

I thought the We Have Ignition campaign always copped an undeserved hammering. It was a theme right across the range and you always knew who the commercials belonged to before the Ford badge popped up. And the commercials for it were pretty good too.

https://youtu.be/csG21kJBNjA?si=rsbShYmywpxvWlW_

Wow! I've never seen that one, thanks for posting it.

I always loved that "We Have Ignition" graphic with the explosion sound at the end.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

Ford Laser from the 90s. In my family, I was effectively the .3 (I'm the younger twin), and I looked like this kid as well. My older brother constantly reminded me that I was a twerp.


youtu.be/jNNIJBiSyAs?si=sEwufj2qVz1nRuh



Edit: How do I get these videos to work? What's the secret?

When you post links into the Youtube tab, you only use the final number/letter sequence after the = sign. So for the following link, you would only use jNNIJBiSyAs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNNIJBiSyAs



Sometimes there will be another set of numbers after a & sign, ignore those.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

We have a winner!


I always loved that original bulge, made the car look even more aggressive. I think they had to smooth it out because it created more drag for the race cars. A number of pre-production press images used those hoods

A few made it out into the wild, there used to be a few getting around Geelong.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Wow! I've never seen that one, thanks for posting it.

I always loved that "We Have Ignition" graphic with the explosion sound at the end.

image

It’s my favourite era, the last time they tried to be different and not just blend in with everyone else.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Performance technology that's ahead of itself..................



Quiz Time - Can anyone explain the link between the tag line and the visual?

Ok, so no one had the answer to the quiz, the visual link to the tag line was subtle. In the last 10-seconds of the commercial, as the Falcon accelerates off into the sunset, it starts to move ahead of its shadow......................."Performance technology that's ahead of itself".

[DFB FGXR6]

Ford, or more to the point Geoff Polites, put the Ford race drivers to good use during in the early 2000's. Geoff knew the importance of linking the race car side of things to the road cars, in that it appealed to profitable private buyers instead of the heavily discounted fleet sales. This approach had worked wonders for Holden and HSV, basically indoctrinating many generations of future Holden customers, while also keeping existing customers engaged.





The race drivers were mostly used to promote various special edition models such as the SR, Classic.......................





This particular commercial was for the AU II SR, which differed slightly to the AU III version. In effect, the AU II SR replaced the Falcon S sedan and was also based on the Forte. The SR shared the colour-coded grill, spoiler, chrome exhaust tip and XLS seat trim design with the Falcon S. However, it used the 16'' alloys and side skirts from the 75th Anniversary Futura, teamed with body coloured mirrors side protection moldings. It also got ABS and cruise control from June 2001 production. SR was built between Apr-01 till Oct-01.





For the AU III, other than the clear side repeaters and removal of the colour coded grill, the SR remained unchanged from the AU II. However, the Ford also offered a wagon version, which actually gained sport suspension teamed with 16-inch XLS/XR6 HP wheels and roof rails. Built between Mar-02 to Sep-02, my uncle bought one of these as a heavily discounted run-out model, made even sweeter by Ford employee discount, the price list I actually had a look over, the prices were crazy cheap. Being heavily religious and deeply conservative, he naturally chose Winter White, but was frightened by the rear spoiler, thinking it would hamper rear vision...............clearly he never got to drive a T3 sedan.











Including TV commercials, Ford also made special edition XR's named after Marcos Ambrose, Russell Ingall and Craig Lowndes.





Sadly, once Geoff left the building, his implementations and vision only got more and more diluted as the years went on. His replacement, American Tom Gorman was very underwhelming. While I know there were many factors at play here, but it just seems to me that Gorman didn't keep the momentum going, he basically sat on his hands and road on the coat tails laid by Geoff in the previous years. He did get a nice shiny car to drive around in though.



I've said this before, but to me, it seemed like Ford Australia flourished when an Aussie was at the helm but then went downhill again when they inserted an American in the top office. I also note a lot of US executives sent here to run FOA ended up finishing their Ford career in Australia. Perhaps they couldn't hack it, as in they were sent here to run it down and disagreed with that, or they were sent here by the US big wigs to get rid of them? In the end, one man did the job, and he too left Ford and the auto industry.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

That's the ad I remember most when I was a kid. Pity I couldn't convince my parents to buy a Laser.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by NX74205

That's the ad I remember most when I was a kid. Pity I couldn't convince my parents to buy a Laser.

This Laser SR2 commercial is one of my all-time favorite's from Ford. The way the music intensifies up to that final "explosion" at the end gets me fired up.



My grandfather's last car was a KN Laser LXi sedan in silver. They were great cars, so well made, above and beyond the more expensive Falcon in the same showroom.

[DFB FGXR6]

I think it's obvious that the following commercial would make an appearance here. While Ford copped a lot of flak over the years for their sales and marketing ability, sometimes they absolutely nailed it......................



When this commercial went to air in late 2002, I was a highly impressionable 16-year-old that was Ford mad! Seeing this car come to life on the TV screen was literally the only TV ad I would look forward to seeing.

The BA Falcon was such a highpoint for the brand, the interest generated leading up to and beyond the launch of this critical model would never happen again for Falcon in my opinion. Arguably the last Falcon to go on sale that has actually a significantly better car than its key rival. New styling, new suspension, new engines, new interior. To me, the most significant change was the vastly improved engine lineup, in fact it was also a significant advantage over Holden, especially at the bottom of the range.

That same soundtrack used for the BA Falcon appeared again at the end of 2004 for the updated BA MK II........................



The reoccurring reference to the number 6 was to highlight the new Tremec T56 6-speed manual that was offered on XR6 Turbo and XR8, and across the FPV lineup.

[DFB FGXR6]

Sticking with the BA theme, for the launch of the RTV, Ford again used the same two actors who appear in all Falcon's Ute commercials during this era.

Always loved this one...................



I think I've posted this video before, which isn't actually a commercial but rather a promo DVD that was sent out with Falcon RTV brochures. In addition to the video, the CD was basically a digital brochure that contained specs, colours, options ect. I think I still have the CD floating around somewhere.

Always loved this one for the backing track and the sound of the Barra 220 accelerating up those development tracks, through the water bath the final outro kicking up dust. This particular version of the video also shows the rest of the CD in action.....................

[DFB FGXR6]

FPV also had a few great commercials during this era.

The first one again has a killer backing track and features the then new BA GT sedan in Blueprint teamed with a classic XY Falcon GTHO.



That commercial was used to intro the promotional DVD that was sent out to dealers and potential customers. Again, I have a copy of it here which was given to me by my Ford parts manager uncle. The video features John Bowe and the FPV GT in Phantom and Pursuit in Blood Orange. Back then, John did a lot of development driving for FPV and Tickford. Again, the backing track was addictive, as was the sound of that lush V8.........................



FPV later came up with this cheeky commercial featuring a Blood Orange GT...............

[Fordman1]

Not the best, but this is the best when it was released:

https://youtu.be/RMfRWKDEZsI?si=sanwYt4oZjenrQGy

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Fordman1

Not the best, but this is the best when it was released:

https://youtu.be/RMfRWKDEZsI?si=sanwYt4oZjenrQGy

Pinned for you.................



And the Wheels COTY version..................

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I think it's obvious that the following commercial would make an appearance here. While Ford copped a lot of flak over the years for their sales and marketing ability, sometimes they absolutely nailed it......................

Absolutely they nailed it with the BA, not just with the car but also with the ad. I really liked the B-series Falcons (about as much as I like the E-series Falcons - that is to say, a lot).

[Crazy Dazz]

Not actually an Ad, but who remembers "Ford Superquiz." That was some advertising