Ford Launches Heavy-Duty Advertising for Redesigned Pickup

Currently leading the automotive industry’s turnaround, Ford Motor Company will begin a
heavy-duty advertising campaign next month for its redesigned 2011 Super Duty pickup truck,
according to Automotive News. Ford’s campaign – which encompasses three national
TV spots, national print ads, owner mailings and digital ads – will tout the vehicle’s
capability and fuel economy as the best in the heavy-duty truck segment, says Brian
Rathsburg, Super Duty marketing manager. “It’s modeled after the F-150 campaign but dialed
up a bit in terms of its ‘Built Ford Tougs,'” Rathsburg says. “We used Denis Leary as the
voiceover, and he has that irreverent, tongue-in-cheek tone.” The actor has been used for
the voiceover in F-150 commercials since the redesigned pickup debuted in the fall of 2008.
The Super Duty goes on sale next month. It will offer Ford’s new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8
turbocharged diesel that makes 390 hp and 735 foot-pounds of torque, according to Ford.
That’s a 40-hp and 85-foot-pounds improvement over the 2010 diesel model, which has a
6.4-liter engine supplied by International. Ford also will offer a 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline
engine with 385 hp and 405 foot-pounds of torque – 85 hp and 40 foot-pounds more than the
current 5.4-liter V-8 gasoline engine. Ford is not releasing fuel economy estimates.
Rathsburg says the 2011 Super Duty will average 18% better fuel economy on the pickups and
up to 25% better on the chassis cabs compared with current models. The base price of the
2011 Super Duty will be $28,995, including shipping, Rathsburg says. That’s a $600 increase
over a similarly equipped 2010 Super Duty, he says. The diesel will be $36,830 with
shipping.