• NY Times, Wednesday, January 25, 2006 12 PM

Ford Motor is taking its case for survival directly to consumers in a new TV spot in which company CEO William Clay Ford, Jr., candidly presents the troubled automaker's situation to potential car buyers. The commercial will appear today, just two days after Ford announced sweeping changes that included the closure of as many as 14 factories and the dismissal of up to 30,000 employees. In the ad, titled "Rebirth," Ford tells viewers that his company is "determined to retake the American roadway." Anne Stevens, Ford's COO, said in an interview that if Ford was to overcome the perception it was not doing enough to address its problems, candor was the best way to do that. "We recognize the reality of the marketplace," she said. "We're fighting to win, and that's what we're going to do. This is not the time to hide." However, industry observers say the commercial is risky because it reminds consumers of Ford's problems even as it asks them to buy Ford vehicles.

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