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Ford tries to reach a new audience with a ‘Dragon Ball Z’ ad

Ford has created an ad that uses footage from Dragon Ball Z to sell the new Ford Focus.

 

Imad Khan

Internet Culture

Posted on Dec 22, 2015   Updated on May 27, 2021, 11:16 am CDT

Here’s two thing you don’t see combined everyday: the Ford Motor Company and Dragon Ball Z.

Yes, the same American company that makes cars, trucks, and even supercars has partnered with Akira Toriyama and FUNimation to create a bizarre cross-promotional ad.

A Ford spokesperson confirmed to us that, yes, the ad is most definitely real. It was produced by Ford’s ad agency, Team Detroit, to reach a different type of consumer through “more humorous means.”

By “a different type of consumer,” we assume Ford means millennials. Considering that many of them grew up watching Dragon Ball Z after school, this seems like a smart play.

The five-day-old video had nearly 600,000 views at press time, so the strategy seems to be working. If this pays off, maybe we’ll get more anime-inspired ads from Ford.

H/T Polygon | Screengrab via Ford Today/YouTube

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*First Published: Dec 22, 2015, 7:06 pm CST