A mom and dad joke with their kids as their Ford Freestyle winds through scenic terrain. They stop at a roadside stand for a snack. They frolic on a beach at sunset. They look like the perfect, happy family until the Freestyle pulls into a condo complex and Dad gets out. "Thanks for inviting me this weekend," he tells his ex-wife. Dad gives his kids a heartfelt hug and waves as the Freestyle crossover vehicle pulls away. A voice-over intones: "Bold moves: They happen every day."
The daring move here really belongs to Ford: showing a divorced couple in an advertising campaign. Although millions of Americans have been divorced and millions of children no longer share an address with both parents, that truth is almost never reflected in the advertising that manufacturers and retailers use to woo consumers. It's likely to stay that way, some marketers predict, because there is still a stigma attached to divorce, and most advertisers prefer to evoke images of happy nuclear families when pushing their products. Others say the Freestyle ad has done exactly what it was supposed to do: create buzz and get people talking.
If Ford's risky move is deemed a success, they predict consumers will see more ads that show unconventional relationships--gay people, mixed-race couples, divorced parents, stepchildren. "We don't live in the world of Ozzie and Harriet anymore," noted Alan Siegel, chairman of Siegel + Gale, a brand strategy firm in New York. "I think advertising has to reflect what is going on in society."
Ford marketing executive John Felice said the company wasn't trying to make a social statement with its divorce ad. Rather, it was trying to make an emotional connection with its customers. "It was about portraying a real-life situation," he said. "I've received passionate e-mails from divorced parents who said, `Thank you.'"
The ad drew ire from some unhappy Ford dealers who don't understand why the company would show a negative situation in its advertising. The ad stopped airing at the end of September because it had run its course, Felice said. He declined to speculate whether it would appear again.
Too bold?
Most of the Bold Moves spots are quirky but not controversial, like the one where a woman pays the dry-cleaning tab for the cute guy in the car behind her. The divorce spot stands out as more serious and provocative. Only a minority of divorced couples end up with an amicable relationship when children are involved, divorce counselors say, and few would choose to spend an extended period of time with their ex in the close confines of a car.
Chicago divorce coach Kate van Dyke congratulates Ford for taking on a difficult topic and showing it with compassion. "I love the healthy role modeling going on there. Anything that can encourage the idea that you can be divorced and civil is a good thing to do."
But the spot struck veteran adman Tom McConnaughy as forced and a little sad. "I just didn't end up with a good feeling at the end of it. I sort of felt sorry for the guy. I just felt sorry. It didn't make me want to go out and buy a Ford." At least one advertising executive says the Freestyle ad has achieved the Holy Grail of advertising: a spot that continues to work long after its 30 seconds of TV time have passed.
Whoever has the raw end of any given divorce may feel differently about that commercial. Parents may feel guilty about what they did with their kids. I see countless parents going to shrinks saying, `I saw this commercial and it made me feel uncomfortable.' That's possible. That's worth money."
Postaer says he remembers exactly the moment when he first saw the commercial because it struck a chord with him as a child of divorce and a parent. But as an ad executive, he also admired the twist at the end. "Picking up the kids to take a Sunday drive is a pedestrian story, but because of that narrative shift, it becomes all new again."
Under the headline "Divorcemobile," Slate contributor Seth Stevenson gives the ad a B- with "bonus points for progressive social stance" and "points off for muddled marketing message."
Separate but equal
How big is the market of divorced people? Some statistics say that 10 percent of the U.S. population was divorced as of 2002, up from 8 percent in 1990 and 6 percent in 1980. According to one estimate, one million children in America are involved in a new divorce each year. That's a big target market in a country of 300 million.
As a demographic group, though, divorced people are hard to pin down, marketers say. They cut across all income levels, ethnic groups, religions and age cohorts. They may be liberal or conservative
"It's hard to target divorced people," said Tim Calkins, marketing professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. "They don't watch certain shows or operate in certain ways. It is sort of like targeting people with brown hair." It's also hard to pin down what products divorced people need. Is the car a divorced person drives different from other cars?
There is a tiny but burgeoning field of divorce-related products and services. There are divorce greeting cards and an online tool called "Our Family Wizard," which allows former spouses to update schedules for their children without having to speak to each other for a cost of about $200 a year. There's even Divorce magazine, which features articles on everything from finding hidden assets to holding a divorce ceremony. Advertisers range from divorce lawyers and counselors to spas and Ikea, the Swedish retailer that offers a big range of value-priced furniture and home accessories.
Associate marketing professor Nordhielm thinks it's useless for advertisers to speak directly to those with doomed marriages unless they are marketing services to those in the midst of divorce. A better solution, she believes, is to reach out to consumers based on their attitudes, not demographics. Smart advertisers such as Apple Computer and Volkswagen reach out across segments with messages that appeal to those who love music or cool design, Nordhielm pointed out.
Divorce coach van Dyke agreed that few divorced people want to be defined by the experience. "Divorce means a breaking apart. I don't know who aspires to that."
Read it all at the Chicago Tribune.
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