Ford Lures Moby to Aid Gen Y Focus - Ford sponsors Area One Music Festival featuring Moby to market the Ford Focus to Generation Y - Brief Article

Brandweek, April 23, 2001 by Karl Greenberg

Eyeing twentysomethings, Ford's Focus automobile will become title sponsor of summer's Area One Music Festival, headlined by electronic/alternative star Moby.

The deal, via SFX, Washington, keys on Ford's "Endless Brand Experience" strategy whereby Ford marketers integrate Focus into the lifestyle and fashion of younger consumers. The July-August event, which builds upon this year's Focus-sponsored Detroit Electronic Music Festival, will tour 16 cities.

A Ford rep said the tour overlaps with the Focus' under-35 demo. "Techno music is part of the DNA of the brand," he said. Local radio and print, via SFX, supports. J. Walter Thompson, which handles Ford advertising, will not launch supporting ads, but is readying TV for the five-door ZX5 hatchback, coming this fall. Ford will be title sponsor of a 10,000-square-foot tent which will host Detroit techno stars Juan Atkins, Derek May Kevin Saunderson and others.

Atkins' music was featured in a Focus spot last year. No word on whether Moby, who licensed all 18 tracks from his 6 million-selling Play album last year to advertisers including American Express and Nordstrom, will provide a soundtrack to new Ford spots.

Continuing a branding tack that first appeared at Fashion Week in New York earlier this year, a deconstructed version of the Focus will be on hand at each event. This time the vehicles will be rolling sound systems, replete with DJ stands. Ford put $72.6 million in ads behind Focus last year, per CMR.

While Focus gets title sponsorship, chipmaker Intel will be premier sponsor of the event and will flag its tie with instore promos at Best Buy and others.