Ford's luxury brand is being renamed Lincoln Motor Company today. Ford execs introduced the new "The Lincoln Motor Company" during an event at New York City’s Lincoln Center Plaza this morning.
Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton reported that's the name the company had when Ford acquired it in 1922:
Ford's Lincoln brand is troubled. Sales are poor and the quality of the brand has eroded in recent years. Ford promises it will revitalize the Lincoln Motor Company brand, just as it revitalized the Ford brand, and Lincolns will become desirable cars once again, starting with the new 2013 MKZ. The hybrid version of the M-K-Z get 45 miles per gallon combined and Ford will sell it for the same price as the non-hybrid. Other unusual features include a retractable glass roof and a push-button gear shifter. Three other new Lincolns are in the works.
The company says as proof that it plans to invest in the brand, the company plans to air a spot during the next Super Bowl in February. The ad will be developed "in an unprecedented way," they say.
From their press release:
Lincoln has asked comedian Jimmy Fallon to lead the first-ever Super Bowl commercial written entirely by social media, with consumers participating through Twitter. Consumers will provide their best 140 character thoughts to a script, and Fallon will then lead the curation of the best contributions that will create the ad to run during the broadcast of the big game.
Automotive News reports Lincoln Motor Company's global head of marketing, sales and service Matt VanDyke "said the campaign is meant as a 'call to action':
"Lincoln has been off the radar for many people. What we want to do is establish it quickly. We're going to have to use high profile placements, use every tool in the toolbox," VanDyke said in an interview last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Here's a commercial from the rebranding campaign:
http://youtu.be/L5_xFBcAab0
