Ford Pins Hopes on Trucks: Ford Motor...

Ford Pins Hopes on Trucks: Ford Motor Co. hopes a $60-million advertising blitz for its new F-Series trucks will reverse a string of disappointing product launches over the last two years. One 60-second spot that will air during the third quarter of the Super Bowl features actor Jack Palance using an F-150 to pull together the two sides of a canyon in order to finish a cattle drive. Trade magazine Advertising Age estimates that the No. 2 auto maker will spend $60 million on the advertising campaign through the model year, including about $5 million during the Super Bowl alone. By contrast, Ford spent an estimated $110 million on advertising for its new Taurus. The stakes are big indeed for the truck, which went on sale Thursday. The 691,452 F-Series trucks sold last year made it the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. market for the 14th year in a row.