The Ford GT Race Car Returns to Le Mans
When Ford announced its return to the greatest race on Earth after an absence of 50 years, they turned to Foxtrot Papa to help them do it. Why? Because no-one better understood the passion and heritage behind Ford’s iconic racing pedigree.
On paper the brief was simple. One of the world’s iconic brands was returning to sportscar racing after an interval of half a century. Our job was to help Ford create as much noise as possible around the event and generate excitement amongst customers – old and new. But beneath the headline lay a multitude of sub-plots that needed to be understood, crafted and presented to the new audience.
The story behind Ford’s return was actually a new chapter in a long-running racing saga. When Henry Ford attempted to buy Ferrari in the 1960s he was rebuffed by Enzo Ferrari himself. Ford vowed he would exact revenge and it came in the form of the Ford GT40, which defeated Ferrari at Le Mans in 1966. Fast-forward 50 years and Ford was ready to return to the tracks with the modern-day Ford GT racer.
In reverence to this legend, we crafted a content campaign that in nine simple words explained the rivalry to racing fans young and old. We called it: ‘We’ve been watching. We’ve been waiting. Now we’re back.’
The campaign centred around an epic launch film that featured the winning GT40 morphing into the modern-day Ford GT racer. The film (and accompanying press, social and campaign assets) set both mainstream and social media alight, becoming the second most-watched film on YouTube in Ford Performance’s history.
