Archive for September, 2009
What’s Worth What? AdAge looks at values of automakers’ marketing accounts
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Audi, BMW, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo
Although auto industry money is a bit tight at the moment, in order to sell vehicles, automakers have to buy advertising. Lots of advertising, in big, expensive campaigns with high production values and creative that’s at the vanguard of style. Advertising agencies that can handle the needs of giant clientele with international brands are still happy to welcome automotive accounts through the doors.
Advertising Age has taken a look at the still-big auto advertising business and what fifteen assorted manufacturers drop on advertising per year. Landing one of these big vehicular fishes would surely make an account executive smile, though AdAge rightly posits that some of are sexier than others. Toyota spends the most at more than $800 million, with Ford coming in second at nearly $700 million. The biggest accounts don’t seem to be in any danger of having their deals come up for review, however, so it may be easier to poach someone who’s already looking, like Chrysler or Volvo. Hit the link for all the figures.
[Source: Advertising Age]
What’s Worth What? AdAge looks at values of automakers’ marketing accounts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Ford’s new “Coyote” 5.0L V8 caught in F150 engine bay
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos, Technology, Ford
PickupTrucks.com has snagged photos of a Ford F-150 powertrain prototype with a brand new engine under the hood. And if the rumors are to be believed, it’s the new 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 due to debut in 2010.
The Coyote is thought to be a twin cam, four-valve per cylinder motor with an output of 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The new V8 will replace the long-in-the-tooth modular V8, joining the 6.8-liter V10 it’s derived from.
The 5.0-liter will be used in both the light duty F-series pickups and the Mustang, and it should be interesting to see if Ford markets the EcoBoost V6 in trucks against the V8 when they’re outputs are so similar.
Pickuptrucks.com also notes that one of the trucks was equipped with seven-bolt wheels, indicating a heavy duty payload version. This fits with comments made by Ford at the launch of the new F-150 last year, where Ford’s marketing people indicated that some buyers whose needs were on the edge of the Super Duty were actually moving down to the F-150 for lower cost and better fuel efficiency. A light duty truck with an enhanced payload would help bridge the gap to bigger trucks, giving buyers more options.
[Source: PickupTrucks]
Spy Shots: Ford’s new “Coyote” 5.0L V8 caught in F150 engine bay originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
OMG LOL: New study says 93% of Americans favor banning text messaging while driving
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Etc., Safety, Technology, Ford
Maybe it’s not surprising that Ford commissioned a study that helps bolster a sales case for some of its in-car-electronics, but the Blue Oval seems to have its finger on the pulse of the nation this time. Market researchers Penn, Schoen & Berland polled 1,000 drivers and found that 93% of them agree with the notion of a nationwide ban on texting. Those drivers seemed to be realists, however, with only 42% believing that the same idiots who punch out communiques instead of attentively piloting their 3,500 pound projectiles would actually curtail the behavior if a ban were enacted.
Ford, of course, has a solution with its SYNC voice activation technology. Fully 76% of the respondents expressed interest in a vehicle with technology like that of the Blue Oval, which is probably the main point of the survey in the first place. It’s likely safer to keep a driver looking down the road with his or her hands on the wheel instead of fiddling with a handheld, but there’s still an issue of distraction when a driver’s thinking more about chatting instead of steering, as many studies regarding the use of hands-free phones in automobiles have shown.
For its part, Ford has been looking into driving distractions for a long time, and technology like SYNC and MyKey are the results. There’s not yet a speech-to-text function, but if a ban gets enacted, look for Dearborn to be ready with just such a system to sell you.
[Source: Motor Trend | Image: Edbrown05 via CC 2.0]
OMG LOL: New study says 93% of Americans favor banning text messaging while driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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You Know You Be Lovin’ My Taurus Bling
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Ask any fashionista, and she’ll tell you: Don’t even think about wearing those chandelier earrings with shorts and tennis shoes. No way. There are, after all, certain rules that apply to fashion and accessories. Ask Earl Lucas, exterior design manager for the 2010 Taurus, and he’ll tell you those same accessorizing rules apply even if you’re designing a sophisticated sedan. Just like a person, every car has a personality and an image to convey, says the former jewelry designer. The “accessories,” which in this case are the headlamps of the 2010 Ford Taurus, must be designed and detailed to project the proper image. The Taurus is a confident, well-balanced car. It has the jewelry to match.
Blending form and function
Headlamps can be beautiful, but if they don’t light the way, it doesn’t matter what they look like. Headlamps must meet certain government and engineering specifications in terms of illumination and reflection, and it all has to fit within a finite space.
The lamps themselves break down into three components – but there’s nothing that says the components can’t be beautifully detailed. Starting from the inside, tapering outward into the fenders, these include the turn signal lamp, projector beam and side marker light. Thanks to a sophisticated internal switch, one lens executes both high- and low-beam function. The technology within allows for more aesthetic appeal with no compromise on headlamp function.
Beneath the projection canister, the lower surface features functional louvers, which allow ventilation to cool the projector bulb. Amber side markers finish the lamp, with a graceful character line across the lens that leads into the fender. When illuminated, these lamps lead with a hot spot that gracefully fades away. Each component inside the lamp has a distinct shape, offering sculptural enhancements embellished with subtle lines – all designed to draw the eye toward the upscale grille.
In all, there are three finishes in the headlamp. In terms of value – or what the customer will notice first – they are chrome, satin and black plastic imbued with metallic flake. There are also two grains offering textural relief: a lighter satin and a velvet etch, which provide a rougher, sandblasted-type contrast to the edging.
Adding the proper accessories, or how the Taurus got its jewelry
This year, fashion designers and trend-watchers are talking about bold jewelry, accessories that make a statement, tell a story, get remembered. And we’ll see them, of course. Because there’s always that woman in the room who’s confident, tasteful and perfectly accessorized. Just like the Taurus.
Designer Earl Lucas applied chrome sparingly to the 2010 Ford Taurus, using it only on choice components in the headlamps, the side vent and across the bottom front mouth of the SHO and Limited edition.
“On the Taurus, we used quiet elements of chrome,” Lucas said. “This is a very tall car. You don’t want to put chrome everywhere – you would lose the value. You do it in key spots, to get attention. Anything you put chrome on, that will get attention. The Taurus is a confident car; it doesn’t need that much extra attention.”
Making the switch from jewelry design to industrial design isn’t quite the jump it seems, Lucas says. Balance, form and function all play major roles in designing, whether you’re designing vehicles or earrings, he said. “You start with a mass, a shape. You have an image. Then you layer, you accessorize. Good lines, good proportions and proper detailing are what set your product apart.”
Quotes
“I love working with metal, all kinds of metal, be it sheet metal or precious metal. I still design jewelry. I love seeing how something small, the tiniest detail, something impossibly ornate, can make such a big difference. Whether you’re designing a car or jewelry, you’re using the same principles.”
– Earl Lucas, 2010 Ford Taurus Exterior Design Manager