Ford and AMV BBDO Launch the Ford Ranger by Covering It in Mud

Ford Pro is launching a pan-European campaign for the all new 2023 Ranger pickup truck, created in partnership with AMV BBDO. The all-new model replaces a vehicle that has been Europe’s best-selling pickup now for eight consecutive years.

Entitled “Go Break It In”, the creative work subverts automotive category conventions by eschewing beauty shots of gleaming vehicles. The idea is that, rather like a new pair of jeans, a boxfresh Ranger needs to be broken in before it feels just right. In the film, a rugged guy takes delivery of his brand-new pickup, and then spends his first days working with it, deliberately punishing it and dirtying it, whilst showcasing the new features of the vehicle.

The campaign comprises a film in long and short formats for TV, VOD, YouTube and social media, as well as a suite of bespoke digital and social ads, digital OOH, and print. 

Richard Beard, marketing and communications manager at Ford Pro, said, “Ranger is an iconic vehicle within the European pickup landscape, with a loyal customer base who value what the product brings to both their work and personal lives. This campaign shows a brief glimpse of just some of the arduous tasks that owners might subject their Rangers to and the inevitable bond that builds between the customer and their vehicle.”

AMV BBDO creatives David Westland and Jeremy Tribe, who wrote the campaign, said, "Our audience are the opposite of posers. They love Ranger for being tough and hard-wearing, like a battered pair of jeans. Ford were fully on board with us and the director Marcus Söderlund launching their brand-new model by scratching it, scraping it and generally giving it a real beating.”

Directed by Marcus Söderlund at Academy Films, the film was shot on location in Slovenia in October 2022. The campaign’s print and digital out of home feature stunning images shot by photographer Sebastien Staub. The work will be running in over 20 markets over the next 12 months.