Ford Motor Co. wanted to generate 100,000 test drives of its 2012 Ford Focus. To capitalize but also improve upon the success of its two-year-old promotion, “Drive One 4 UR School,” which was being continued in 2012, Team Detroit conceived “Focus Bonus Drive,” with a goal of producing 50,000 test drives in the 2012 Ford Focus.

After “Drive One 4 UR School” participants took their first qualifying test drive in any Ford vehicle, the school would receive an additional $10 from Ford if that same participant took a second test-drive in the 2012 Focus. The “Focus Bonus Drive,” coupled with the “Drive One 4 UR School” platform, gave schools the opportunity to raise up to $8,000 in one day—6,000 from the original “Drive One 4 UR School” program, and an additional $2,000 from the “Focus Bonus Drive.”

In addition to the community benefits, the “Focus” promotion allowed tens of thousands of individuals to test drive a 2012 Ford Focus in a low pressure and comfortable environment at their local high school. Since the majority of participants were non-Ford owners, these behind-the-wheel experiences were key in increasing awareness of the 2012 Focus, as well as improving people’s perceptions about the vehicle and the brand.

The agency tested “Focus Bonus Drive” with three pilot events in California. Each event was given four 2012 Ford Focus vehicles for test drive, a yellow “Focus Rally” vehicle to display on-site, and a Focus-branded event kit. Focus Product specialists attended each event, providing product demonstrations and vehicle walk-throughs. Dealership staff and school volunteers were briefed on the promotion, so they could explain the program and its functionality to participants.

The pilot’s success resulted in the program being extended nationwide. Participating dealers received a Focus-branded event kit in addition to their “Drive One 4 UR School” kit including vehicle magnets, “why buy” a 2012 Ford Focus lists, hang tags for each 2012 Focus test-drive vehicle, vehicle-shaped counter cards with easels to place on registration tables, 36’ x 24’ posters, and take-away informational pieces. Online enrollment was offered for the first time to dealers scheduled to host a “Drive One 4 UR School” event.

A total of 552 Ford dealers nationwide participated in the program (half of all dealerships holding “Drive One 4 UR School” events) from March through November of 2011. “Focus Bonus Drive” generated more than 63,000 test drives, resulting in the donation of an additional $639,360 to high schools nationwide.

At the conclusion of the 120-day sales window for each “Drive One 4 UR School” event, 1,177 car sales were generated among “Focus Bonus Drive” participants, with the 2012 Focus accounting for 36% of sales.

Ford is an avid supporter of breast cancer awareness and early detection and, since 2005, has maintained a program to help further the cause. Called "Warriors in Pink" and developed in collaboration with Team Detroit, the program revolves around an apparel line in which 100% of the net proceeds go to fight breast cancer.

In 2011, Warriors in Pink partnered with Lifetime’s film "Five" (an anthology of five short films centered around the five stages of breast cancer – diagnosis, acceptance, treatment, support and remission), which premiered October 10, 2011 on Lifetime. Apparel was worn by Jennifer Lewis, who plays the mother of a diagnosed daughter, played by Rosario Dawson.

Ford worked with Jennifer Aniston to design a T-shirt inspired by the film. Called “Reach for the Moon,” the tee was sold exclusively on Fordcares.com and was featured in a :30 spot in which Aniston promoted the tee. To date, over 29,000 shirts have been purchased, generating $1 million in sales, giving Warriors in Pink their most successful October ever.

Two 20-second in-show brand extensions featuring cast member Lyndsy Fonseca were developed, which included film footage and showed Fonseca talking candidly about Ford Warriors in Pink and wearing the Warriors in Pink scarf.

Two short videos streamed on "Five"’s home page during October. The videos delivered key WiP messaging featuring film scenes, behind the scenes footage and interviews with directors and key talent talking about their experiences with the disease.

The WiP team partnered with Glamour magazine to produce an advertorial featuring Five cast member Rosario Dawson. Dawson was pictured wearing the Warriors in Pink “Unstoppable Tee.” For each “Unstoppable Tee” sold, Glamour magazine matched Ford’s donation ($11.80 per shirt), up to $5,000, a goal that was well exceeded before October’s end. Film star Tracee Ellis Ross worked with Warriors in Pink to create a print ad which was placed in Essence magazine, highlighting the 2011 Warriors in Pink scarf.

The integration included an online consumer promotion, the “Focus on Five Sweepstakes”  hosted by Lifetime, featuring the Aniston PSA, custom video content, behind the scenes footage, social media threads and entry fields where consumers were able to talk about how they support their local breast cancer communities. The sweepstakes received 201,384 total entries, 60,407 unique entries and 22,347 opt-ins for Ford Vehicles.

At the end of the promotion period, Ford had sold over 29,000 Jennifer Aniston/ “Reach for the Moon” t-shirts, and MyLifetime.com generated $134,780 in gear sales, with a 1.04% clickthrough rate. Thanks to the collaboration, Ford Warriors in Pink had the largest October in program history and gave Susan G. Komen™ more than $560,000 from the net proceeds of apparel sales.