Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand is expanding its marketing in an effort that plays up its #MoreHuman side. The brand marketing campaign does not include actor Matthew McConaughey, who had been
prominently featured in individual vehicle nameplate launches.
The effort, created by Lincoln AOR Hudson Rouge, has its roots on the Lincoln Web site and debuted on air recently during the Grammy Awards. Creative includes a 60-second “Manifesto” spot, a 30-second spot, “Paint,” that discusses the Revel audio technologies and a 30-second spot, “Perspective,” which touts camera technology.
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“#MoreHuman focuses on all the little advancements and thoughtful details that make Lincoln a luxury car truly designed around the driver,” according to Jon Pearce, Hudson Rouge global chief creative officer.
While the McConaughey ads have “drawn in unprecedented amounts of awareness for the brand,” many people still don’t know what the “new” Lincoln is all about, he says. “And that’s an approach we’ve summarized as a ‘more human approach to engineering,’ evidenced by features that are thoughtfully attuned to drivers and passengers."
Prior to #MoreHuman, the brand hadn’t done any marketing that gives substantive reasons why consumers should consider Lincoln as a brand. While this new work is “lower in the funnel,” it is still beautiful/graphic/warm/enticing, which are all qualities embodied in the Lincoln brand, he says.
“For anyone who has taken notice of the Lincoln brand (probably from the McConaughey advertising or seeing one on the street), when they decide to dig a little deeper, they will find the #MoreHuman work living on lincoln.com,” Pearce says. “It’s intended to inform the person wondering ‘what’s up at Lincoln?’ as well as continue to convey to them that Lincoln is an authentic, contemporary luxury automotive brand that sees the automobile as an opportunity to connect with drivers and passengers.”
Substantive reasons, especially in automotive, are only justifications for what is truly an emotional decision. In that regard, the McConaughey advertising (which I hated) was a success in the emotionality. After all, what could be more human than someone babbling incessantly to himself?