*By Carlo Versano*
Ford's decision to tap the agency that executed the recent headline-grabbing Nike ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick for the automaker's new branding campaign is no accident.
As more brash companies like Tesla ($TSLA) and Uber suck up the oxygen in what was once a staid industry, Ford is "dialing up the attitude and braggadocio" to get people talking about the 115-year-old brand, said Ad Age's E.J. Schultz.
Ford's new "Built Ford Proud" campaign is the work of the Wieden+Kennedy agency, long known for its creative ads for Nike ($NKE) ー including its controversial ad featuring ex-quarterback and activist Kaepernick. The first "Built Ford" ad stars Bryan Cranston inhabiting a series of cinematic personas that all take subtle digs at the tech industry. Referencing the iconic "Built Ford Tough" tagline, the ad emphasizes Ford's manufacturing chops, size, and heritage over the sexier promises of futuristic start-ups.
"Talk doesn't get things done," Cranston says in the ad. "Building does."
In a sector that's slowly moving from a focus on ownership to a mobility-as-a-service model and making billion-dollar investments in autonomous tech, Ford ($F) has struggled to stay relevant, which has been reflected in its lagging sales and slumping stock.
"They had to do something with their communications strategy," Schultz said.
Ford ー and legacy automakers in general ー need to walk a fine line: show that they are serious about investing in future technologies that are likely to revolutionize the industry, from autonomy to electrification, while also satisfying its customers who still walk into showrooms to buy trucks and cars.
"They're trying to wear multiple hats," as Schultz said, but the "job number one" for Ford is still selling automobiles, like the F-150, which happens to be the top-selling vehicle in the U.S.
"The trick is to do that and figure out the future," Schultz said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/ford-turns-the-key-on-its-image).
Federal health officials are expanding an investigation into potentially lead-tainted pouches of apple cinnamon fruit puree marketed for children amid reports of more illnesses and additional product recalls.
Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by businessman Warren Buffett, reported its operating earnings in its most recent quarter jumped more than 40% from a year ago but posted its first net quarterly loss in a year.
Maks Chmerkovskiy and wife Peta Murgatroyd, of "Dancing With the Stars" fame, are branching out into skincare.
Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing the spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.
The trial between Google and the maker of the game Fortnite will begin Monday as a San Francisco jury will hear Epic Games' case claiming the Google Play Store takes an unfair commission on purchases made through apps.
One of the most self-made and success stories in the country, Emma Grede, has worked along with the Kardashian Jenner family on many of their best-known brands. Grede, CEO and co-founder of Good American, gave back to the next generation of business leaders as a featured speaker at the Chase for Business Make Your Move summit last week. She spoke with Cheddar News about her career, her company's fashion brand, working with the famous Kardashian-Jennifer family and balancing her own family life.
Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate run by businessman Warren Buffett, reported its operating earnings in its most recent quarter jumped more than 40% from a year ago but posted its first net quarterly loss in a year.
Elon Musk's company XaI has announced a new chatbot called Grok.
SAG-AFTRA said over the weekend that it received the studios' last best and final offer following a meeting on Saturday, with the union saying it's reviewing it and considering a response "within the context of the critical issues addressed in our proposals."
Stocks rose slightly as Wall Street looks to continue its momentum with earnings season winding down.
