Automaker Explains Its 'Change or Die' Mentality

By Jean Halliday Published

June 27, 2006 - AdAge

In an unusual move, Ford Motor Co.'s Ford division is chronicling its turnaround efforts in the U.S. with an online documentary series that addresses with brutal honesty the automaker's problems.

'Rip out the BS'The short-film series, titled "Bold Moves. The Future of Ford," will run weekly through year's end -- some 50 episodes in all -- and is intended to tell the automaker's side of the story about how it needs to "change or die." In one of the episodes unveiled today near Ford Motor headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., a female journalist says, "This is a company that could really go down." Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, says the automaker needs to "rip out the BS and political posturing and have a constructive conflict," and that "we can't rest one iota in this business.

" Other company executives, including Chairman William Ford, white and blue-collar employees, consumers, analysts and auto journalists, offer their opinions in the 3- to 5-minute films, which are produced by WPP Group's JWT, Detroit and New York, and directed by Radical Media, New York.

"We'll attract both sides of the fence. We'll have haters and we'll have lovers," said May Lou Quesnell, director of brand DNA at Ford. "We recognize our challenges.

" Visitors to www.fordboldmoves.com can register for updates and offer their written opinions on the site, although explicit comments will be filtered out, Ms. Quesnell said. She declined to reveal the cost of the campaign, but said it was not more expensive than Ford's upcoming TV reality show about designing a dream car.