Rather than merely sponsor a reality-TV program, which it has done to good effect with Fox's "American Idol" juggernaut, Ford Motor Company said yesterday that, as part of a new advertising strategy
called "Bold Moves," it will create and produce its own program. Concept: Contestants will work with Ford designers to produce a hot concept car. Ford, which has already paid for a teaser for the
as-yet-unnamed show, plans to shop it around to the networks in the near future. Jim Sanfilippo, an analyst with Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc., said the show is a good way to convey Ford's
new message to today's consumers. "It's a very cool idea," Sanfilippo said. "It's a way to engage the audience in a way that they can they can identify with." Ford has been forced to overhaul its
advertising in view of falling sales and profits. The "Bold Moves" campaign begins this week. It's too soon to know when, or if, the Ford-produced reality show will get picked up by a network.
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