Ford Unearths a Passionate Community of Raptor Owners in Welcome to the Club Series

In collaboration with Wieden+Kennedy New York and Farm League, Ford is continuing to push its episodic content on social in its newest film ‘Welcome To The Club: NorCal Raptor Runs. The film uneartherns a passionate community of Ford Raptor owners that embraces their passion for Raptors by embarking on a 1000 mile road trip through the Baja Desert as their ideal weekend adventure.

In a colony of 17 Ford Raptors, members of NorCal Raptor Runs voyage down the west coast of the Baja peninsula in an adrenalin-fuelled adventure of over 1000 miles. In this five-day off-roading adventure, director Janssen Powers delves into the grit and camaraderie of the Raptor club, revealing the passion and community that drive these owners, offering an intimate behind-the-scenes look into their world.

This film will live on the newly launched Ford Trucks Instagram page as the brand continues to prioritise engaging its community and members who live and breathe their favourite Ford vehicles - all while reaching new, younger, and more diverse audiences. In addition to the @FordTrucks Instagram, varying versions of the film will run on other channels such as Ford’s X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube accounts.

Raptor community building continues beyond the film and Instagram. On September 21st, Ford will hold its first-ever Raptor Rally - an exciting event for Ford F-150 Raptor, Bronco Raptor, and Ranger Raptor owners. This one-day event in Fairfield, Utah will include off-road drive experiences, trail rides, expert workshops, meet and greets and hot lap opportunities with pro off-road racers Vaughn Gittin Jr., Loren Healy, & Chris Polvoorde, the ability to hang out with the Ford Raptor team, the first to learn about Ford news, free exclusive Raptor merchandise, the chance to win cool giveaways like an and so much more.

Dan Peters and Reef Younis, creative directors at Wieden+Kennedy New York, add, “Welcome to the Club’ is the team’s flagship foray into human-first storytelling where we spotlight car culture around the world, specifically the people, passion and purpose that drives it. For Episode 2, our search brought us to NorCal Raptor Runs, a club united by a love of Ford Raptor, off-roading and adventure. So, when they told us that they were planning a 1000-mile odyssey through Baja California, Mexico, we knew we had to capture that journey and tell their story.”

The director of the film, Farm League's Janssen Powers, commented, "This project was truly one of my favourites. We focused a lot on creating space for the story to unfold on its own - approaching the film as listeners and following the narrative where it wanted to go. This style of working is so rewarding, but at times, it can be a bit nerve-wracking – moving into any production without a defined script or storyboards can feel a bit like freefall. This kind of approach would not have been possible without the trust and vision of the Wieden and Ford teams."