Document Type
Division and Classification Essay
Publication Date
1990
Excerpt
While planning the advertising campaign for the 1980 model year, the truck division of Ford Motor Company discovered an opportunity to pitch the advantages of the new "twin I-beam" suspension on national television. Ford devised a commercial that would not only demonstrate the suspension's road handling ability, but would also highlight the raw hill climbing power of a Ford truck. For this demonstration, Ford's ad agency conceived the "cinder block mountain." In the final take, the Ford F- 150 clambered up the cinder blocks with ease. After the novelty of a pickup climbing a heap of cinder blocks wore off, the advertising agency filmed a more ambitious shot. They placed a Chevy half-ton pickup inside the payload bay of the hill climbing Ford. In 1984, the advertisers took a step further, placing a GMC full size in the cargo hold of the Chevy riding piggyback on the Ford. In 1986, Ford answered a challenge from Dodge. Yet another primetime spot showcased the "cinder block mountain." This time, a souped-up Ford piggybacked Chevy and GMC halftons while towing a full-size Dodge pickup. Ford's competitors could only watch as the Ford truck achieved feat after feat. In 1988, however, Chevy retaliated. In a spot featuring the new full size Chevrolet pickup, the Chevy truck proceeded to tow away the hill the Ford was climbing. Will 1990 bring even more aggressive truck stunts?
Recommended Citation
Mueller, John, "Car Commercials: Reality vs. Image (1990)" (1990). The Valpo Core Reader. 394.
http://scholar.valpo.edu/core_reader/394