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Situation
To build strong momentum prior to the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford wanted to generate excitement and buzz among media and enthusiasts with a large event to launch the new 2010 Mustang lineup. However, given the off-site venue’s schedule, a week’s worth of production setup time, show and strike had to be compressed into less than 48 hours.

Solution
Ford selected EWI Worldwide to create a three-hour Mustang immersion event that celebrated the brand’s heritage, and culminated in a thrilling vehicle reveal for an audience of nearly 1,000 people that was also simulcast live on The Speed Channel.

Automotive media were transported to Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar which our Studio Creative division had completely transformed into a Mustang branded environment. Journalists joined nearly 800 members of the Mustang Car Club of America who brought their own vehicles to stage a massive car show in the parking lot. Themed interactives showcased every Mustang since 1969, Ford’s racing history, drifting demonstrations by Vaughn Gitten, Jr., side-by-side dynamometer “racing” competitions and technical displays. Giant projection screens featured movie clips from Mustang short film competition contestants, while all visitors enjoyed hospitality and musical entertainment.

At last, the audience gathered for the reveal itself. Screens flared to life with an energized opening video to set the tone. Ford’s essay contest winner, a U.S. Army specialist serving in Iraq, received the keys to a new 2010 Mustang. Ford executives shared their own cross-country Mustang drive experiences. Then, in dramatic fashion, ten Mustang racing legends made special appearances as their winning vehicles were showcased on giant stackers flanking the stage’s center screen. These incredible moments culminated in an appearance by automotive design and racing legend Carroll Shelby.

The new Mustang coupe, Mustang convertible, Mustang GT and Mustang GT convertible then made their debut, screeching through a 100-foot long space surrounded by concrete barriers right in front of the audience. With engines roaring and tires squealing, the Pony cars burst out from beneath the center screen to spin, drift and weave into position amid thunderous applause. Following presentations by Mustang’s chief designer and engineer amid their latest creations, journalists had once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity featuring the 2010 Mustangs, the Mustang legends and Ford executives. 

Results
The client described the experience as Ford’s largest PR event in recent history, successfully engaging an audience of thousands in person and on television, with Studio Creative “executing the Mustang reveal to perfection.”