• The Wall Street Journal (registration required), Thursday, January 11, 2007 11:45 AM

Eschewing the hip-hop image commonly used to appeal to black consumers, Ford's Lincoln division is taking a lower-key approach with the hiring of a wedding gown designer from Ethiopia as the brand ambassador for its Lincoln MKX.

Amsale Aberra runs Amsale, the New York-based wedding- and evening-dress house that is on a par with Vera Wang. Her appeal is such that Lincoln, which had hired her to increase its penetration into minority media and certain urban markets, decided to include the ads in its general market ads.

Lincoln has struggled to find a consistent new look for its vehicles and a powerful new advertising hook. Now, executives say they see an opportunity in carving out a position as an approachable and casual luxury brand.

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