Ford: Hidden in Plain Sight and New Breed by BBDO

The iconic Ford Mustang is going electric with the Mach-E and it’s using influencers, including actor Idris Elba, to get the word out about its new breed of car.

The promo and communications plan took a different path than the flashy commercial splash the automaker usually uses, in that it used social teasers to hint at the vehicle’s release. On Instagram, influencers like David Patterson, That1320Chick and Katie Osborne are parts of a puzzle which could be discovered by using the hashtag #ElectricAndUntamed. When all 10 photos are put together, the silhouette of the Mach-E can be seen.

Those influencers continued to tease the vehicle via a ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ social media campaign right up until the product’s unveiling in Los Angeles, with a live-streamed event hosted by Elba.

The pre-release influencers, experiences and branded content were meant to target the next wave of electric vehicle adopter with a sense of mystery, which finally became less mysterious when the ad was released over the weekend.

The film, titled ‘New Breed’, features Elba as brand ambassador. In it, he says “Should have seen it coming. A stampede unleashed 55 years ago” as the original Mustang and its later models roar down the road. “Just when you think you know where they’re going, they do something unexpected. Something that moves us all forward and holds nothing back,” as he approaches the Mach-E on the street.