Next-Gen Ford Ranger Literally Moves Mountains in Epic Spot from Net#Work BBDO

Ford Motoring Company of Southern Africa, one of the world’s leading auto makers, in partnership with one of the pre-eminent brand building companies, Net#work BBDO, has unveiled a new campaign for the Next Gen-Ford Ranger.

As Ford’s flagship brand, the Next-Gen Ranger needed a majestic and powerful launch idea that would embody its positioning of living without limits, with the sole objective of redefining the bakkie category. 

The Next-Gen Ranger’s capabilities have been relooked from scratch resulting in a fully equipped machine that can tackle anything. An enabler that allows individuals to live without limits, whether it’s traversing the city or challenging landscapes, the Next-Gen Ranger goes beyond, making accessibility anyone’s game. 

Net#work BBDO partnered with Zee Ntuli, one of Darling Films talented young directors to achieve their creative ambition. The film follows three different characters in three different landscapes, each with three different models of the Next-Gen Ford Ranger. 

“We set out to create a campaign that is simultaneously emotionally moving as well as intellectually stimulating, opening-up the possibilities of the category. The tone of the film taps into a human truth. It is not just an exploration of a vehicle’s capabilities, but rather a deeper, emotional longing for freedom, magic and wonder to exist in a world where you can feel truly unlimited,” says Roanna Williams, CCO Net#work BBDO. 

Shot in the breathtaking Western Cape, South Africa, the vehicles are portrayed with the immense power to move mountains, haul oceans and heave forests to bridge the gap between adventure and urban life. The commercial gradually leaves more and more breadcrumbs along its way, clues that allude to the notion that the Next-Gen Ford Rangers are in fact towing entire landscapes. 

“My approach was to portray the Next-Gen Ford Ranger as a vehicle that transcends boundaries and limitations and unlocks your world in unimaginable ways, redefining what we believe to be possible. I have employed every cinematic tool to craft a film that is deeply infused with heart, poetry, wonder and awe," explains Zee Ntuli, director, Darling Films. "The camera language used across the various landscapes portrays the grace and elegance, the raw power and the proficiency and precision of the Next-Gen Ford Ranger. The characters have been perfectly cast to match the characteristics of the environment and the young girl accompanying her dad on this epic adventure, symbolizes our inner child, the part of ourselves that remains open to magic."

“This campaign cements the Next-Gen Ford Ranger as an accessible choice for bold, free-spirited individuals who desire to grab life by the horns and tackle anything in their path. Our ambitious approach, that redefines the category and offers different option packs, aims is to attract customers who have not yet considered the Next-Gen Ranger.” says Doreen Mashishini, Brand Marketing Lead Ford SA 

This film is epic, yet heartfelt. Powerful yet awe-inspiring. A story of mythical proportions, yet intimate and human. A film that UNLIMITS YOUR WORLD.