Home / Our Work / Ford Flex
Project:

Ford Flex

Client:
Team Detroit.
Disciplines:
Ideation. Script Writing. Art Direction. Design. Image Exploration. Tagline Development.

“Our conceptual research took shape in a highly visual exploration of the vehicle.”

Ford Flex and Our Visual Approach to Concepting.

Team Detroit came to us to develop creative concepts to launch FLEX, a completely new genre of vehicle for Ford. Traditionally, writing forms the backbone of our ideation approach, but in this case, image development was the best tool for the job because it allowed us to cover enormous amounts of conceptual ground quickly. Working this way also allowed Team Detroit to see the potential of each idea presented in the context of a full blown campaign and allowed them to quickly determine what was working. The process was seamless as we were able to react and respond quickly, keeping a continuous flow of ideas moving. The outcome of these explorations was an extensive roster of creative that both helped Team Detroit launch FLEX and impacted their long-term marketing efforts for Ford.

To understand our creative, it’s important to know a little bit about Flex.  It’s a crossover vehicle with sync technology,  ambient lighting, grooved door panels, customizable wheels, a 3-bar chrome grille and a vista roof (over-sized skylight). The target audience for Ford Flex is interested in something unique and inspired. We engaged this state of mind, using intelligence, creativity and style to articulate our ideas with a visual language that challenged expectation. The following examples are a small sampling of the work we generated for Team Detroit.

Open the Box.

Like the wardrobe to Narnia, the car literally opens up and inside we reveal scenarios, experiences and attributes that are Flex. It’s a magical interpretation of the Flex the state of mind. Each vignette is a truly immersive experience, an extrapolation of the high-quality amenities of the car; the multi-panel vista roof (a planetarium), the Microsoft sync (an orchestra), the Dolby 5.1 surround sound entertainment center (a movie theater). Engaging with any of these unique aspects of the car creates a fantastic world around the driver - a full blown visualization of the experience.



Timeless Classic.

What does it mean to be a classic and what does it mean when you label a brand new vehicle a “timeless classic”? To us, Flex is an obvious example; built of quality and made to last, it transcends any fad or trend. The driving experience is rooted in inspiration and the thrill of the journey. As any great vehicle with this distinction, it effortlessly exudes all the qualities of a classic.

The City Energy.

The city comes alive and pulsates with the energy of Flex. It’s visceral and explosive. It’s fast. It’s electrifying. Explosions and streaks of light mark the journey through the urban landscape. This world is foreign to most, privy to few but available to all...just get in a Flex and drive.

Flexpression.

FLEX is an evocative word. It’s powerful, in your face, direct and descriptive. We thought that it would be interesting to imagine an entire vocabulary that emphasized the word Flex. Using wordplay, we “flexamined” the myriad ways “flex” could redefine how we talk about cars both literally and figuratively.


Vehicle Redefined.

We see Flex as a catalyst for change. As it passes through the world, the mundane is transformed into the extraordinary. This idea engages fantasy as a tool to showcase very concrete qualities and features of the car in an aspirational manner.


The New Route.

An alternate pathway becomes the road that the Flex and only the Flex drives on. This pathway at first parallels, then ascends the normal route, giving the viewer a taste of the heightened experience of the vehicle.