Today’s high-achievers (whom Ford calls Refined Rulers) are constantly bombarded by the mundane stressors of modern life: Non-stop notifications, meetings, spreadsheets, traffic jams. They create a “capability coma” where people become so bogged down by daily routines and digital clutter that they lose touch with who they really are.

Challenge

The large SUV market is a competitive environment where brands typically offer either sterile urban luxury or rugged toughness, and brands do well in their positioning. 

Ford wanted to show audiences that the Everest MY26 is a one-of-a-kind large SUV that owns the space between. On-road, it brings head-turning sophistication. Off-road, its reliable capability lets you adventure with confidence.

Inspiration

The 2026 campaign, “Ready Set Ford” is a natural progression from the previous campaign, “Live at the Peak”, which focused on the features that enable the premium lifestyle of South African drivers. 

Ready Set Ford looks beyond raw toughness and ruggedness to the notion that people adventure with a personal sense of purpose. 

Idea

“Lose Yourself to Find Yourself” – a campaign that speaks directly to those who believe that the best version of themselves lies far from the beaten track and beyond the expected. 

As Jayson Dicks and Seth Beukes, the creative brains behind the campaign, explain: “When the familiar falls away, something unexpected takes its place. The space created by disconnection becomes an invitation to discover places, experiences, and perspectives that ordinary life rarely allows.”

South Africa’s instantly recognisable landscapes make the message both relatable and attainable. Audiences get the sense that adventure is simultaneously within reach and a world away from their daily routine. 

Against a backdrop of wild, expansive vistas, the TVC juxtaposes the life that deskbound adventurers long for with the mundane restraints of their everyday reality. They are reminded that freedom awaits for those who are brave enough to leave the ordinary behind. And that the Ford Everest is the vehicle to take them there.

Growth

This campaign is ongoing.

“Ford knows that for South Africans challenging the capability coma, it isn't about humans lacking capability, but rather about rediscovering it. This rallying call from the Ford Everest to find yourself is such a critical reminder that we are on the road with you as you find your way.” 

Tarryn Knight

Head of Marketing, Ford

Credits

Client:

Neale Hill (President Ford South Africa)

Tarryn Knight (Ford Head of Marketing)

Kaveer Soman Beni (Ford Product Manager)

Hanno Botha (Ford Marketing Communications Manager)

Boitumelo Sekgaphola (Ford Brand Manager)

Londeka Mkhize (Ford Communications Specialist)

Bontle Ndlovu (Ford Social Media Manager)

Sareesha Poonoosamy (Ford Data and Analytics)

Sunil Sewmohan (Ford Product Development Lead)

Bertus Prinsloo (Ford – Ford Assist)

 

Agency:

Theo Ferreira (VML – Group ECD)

Neil Lindsay (VML – Creative Director)

Dono White (VML – Strategy Director)

Brett David (VML – Business Unit Director)

Mike Nash (Ford WPP Country Lead)

Jon Paul Jacques (Regional WPP Ford ECD)

Seth Beukes (VML – Senior Art Director)

Jayson Dicks (VML – Senior Copywriter)

Nompumelelo Mabena (VML Senior Traffic Lead)

Lee-Anne Joseph (VML Traffic Manager)

Natasha King (VML – Account Director)

Nadia Martin (VML – Account Director)

Bridget Van As (VML – Project Manager)

Angela Geyser (WPP Media – Client Partner)

Shadwin Smith (WPP Media – Digital Strategy)

Natasha Grudko (WPP Media – Digital Strategy)

Lebo Mabeba (VML Head of Social Media)

Chabi Setsubi (VML Head of Community Management)

Kelita-Ria Ganesh (VML Creative Director)

Inga Sikweyiya (VML Social Media Management)

Vicky Jankiewicz (VML Content Director)

Andre Marais (VML Data Specialist)

Margaret Ashwin (WPP Media – ATL Strategy)

Wendy Machanik (VML – Head of Production)

Shomaya Noor (VML – Business Unit Director)

Chicco Zimila (WPP Media – ATL Strategy)

Dustin Chick (Ford – Communications Director)

 

Public Relations:

Carrie-Anne Jane (Meropa – PR Specialist)

Natalie Tuck (Meropa – PR Specialist)

Andrew Leopold (Meropa - PR Specialist)

 

Production Team: 

Peter Carr, Massif – Executive Producer
Dean Blumberg, Massif – Director
Chanelle Critchfield, Massif – Producer
Sarah Schöpflin, Massif – Production Manager
Kyra Critchfield, Massif – Production Coordinator
Kabeer Shaik, Pulse TV – D.O.P
Chris van Latum, 1st Assistant Director
Derek Ueckermann, Pulse – Focus Puller
Owen Bruce, Direct – DIT
Dumi Ninela, Pulse – Grip
Zolani Gojo, Radical – Best Boy
Izzy De Vasconcelos, Krewkut – Wardrobe
Dominique Rossouw, Dom – Medic
Vuyolwethu Tshambala, Radical – PA
Schalk Bloem, Direct – Unit Manager
Jarryd Ledingham, UMM – Unit Assist
Gary Heiman, MAD – Precision Driver
Garth Ball, MAD – Auto Detailer
Andile Mojava, MAD – Auto Detailer
Joshua Branquinho, Big Bird – Drone Pilot
Adama Lewis, Big Bird – Drone Operator
Nur Abrahams, Adeeb – Crew Driver
Shadley Manuel, Adeeb – Crew Driver
Des Ellis, RHO – Stills Photographer
Michelle Reynolds, RHO – Stills Assist
Bertus Prinsloo, Product Technical Specialist
Tessa Ford, Tessa Ford Post – Post Production
Audio Militia, Composition and Sound Design
Matthew Du Boi, ICE Genetics – Talent
Garrick Jones – Audio – Audio Militia Engineer

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