A New Breed

Ford was about to embark on one of their most critical launches in the company’s history with their first electric vehicle based on the iconic Mustang. Going up against Tesla wasn’t going to be easy. Skeptics abounded, from the automotive press to die hard Mustang fans. We knew in order to reach new audiences for Ford– and be taken seriously in this new electric world–we needed to rip up the typical legacy auto rulebook on how to reveal a car and do it in a totally new way.

Only one problem: the vehicle was still in development. So, we made our weakness our strength by treating every piece of information we shared like it was a leak to the public.

Ford had followed a tried and true blueprint for new vehicle reveals for years, following the rules of the automotive industry. We decided to break those rules.

First, we revealed the shape to the world–confirming this was, in fact, an electric Mustang SUV. Typically, auto makers will reveal a “three-line sketch” of a new car’s shape early on to the press. Instead, we partnered with light artist SOLA and hid the shape in influencer’s posts, leaving it up to the audience to put the puzzle together–with the press following not far behind.

Instead of giving the press the first looks of the prototype per usual, we held a secret event in Detroit and invited top influencers to see it for the first time.

An immersive, 180-degree LED wall provided a backdrop for stunning social content. This luminous sensory journey is a story about the evolution of energy, represented by organic particles of light that coalesce and transition from open landscapes and galloping mustang horses, to light trails and finally, adopt the form of the new Mustang Mach-E.

The physical Mustang Mach-E was then unveiled for the first time in a digital LED lightbox. Influencers teased their audience, building anticipation and speculation.

Our efforts were designed to subvert all the typical automotive reveal tropes, and it worked. Over 5 million watched the livestream event, exceeding expectations. With 40 million video views, 54 million influencer impressions, and 2 billion estimated earned media impressions–Ford reached an entirely new audience, and sold out of First Edition’s in just a week.

In addition to orchestrating the launch, we also developed the look and feel for the global branding of the vehicle across all channels. A comprehensive style guide, design system, and strategy for all facets of the rollout worldwide.