• Ad Age, Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:01 PM

Lincoln has bailed out of its three-year deal with Earvin "Magic" Johnson, dumping the former Laker star in favor of hip-hop artist Common to help better connect with African-Americans. Ford says its new celeb will be pushing the Lincoln Navigator SUV in ads across a variety of media, events and online. The aim is to make the marque "hipper and a little cooler," says Marc Perry, multicultural marketing manager for Lincoln.

Common appeals to consumers in their late 20s to mid-30s. Johnson worked well for Lincoln, he adds, but the automaker wants to "keep things contemporary." The hope is that the Navigator will overtake GM Corp.'s Cadillac Escalade as the most popular luxury SUV among African Americans, he notes. But it is a tough hill to climb, as the Escalade had twice as many African-American buyers than any other contenders in the segment, says Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision's auto practice.

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