Campaign contains no Ford branding but plenty of references to the original 1969-86 European Capri coupe
June 27, 2024 at 13:50
- Ford is hyping up this summer’s new Capri EV launch with the help of an old-school print ad referencing the original coupe.
- The advert is linked to a Whatsapp account and also a web page for a fictitious restomod firm.
- Ford’s new Capri won’t be a two-door coupe but a fastback SUV version of the VW ID.4-based Explorer.
Ford’s classic Capri badge returns affixed to an EV this year, so it’s kind of fitting that the Blue Oval’s marketing team is fusing retro and modern marketing tactics to promote it. Ford is teasing the new car with the help of an old-school print ad that unlocks a detail shot of the new EV on your smartphone.
There were already strong rumors that the new fastback version of the VW ID.4-based Explorer will be wearing the Capri name when it debuts on July 10, and this viral campaign indirectly confirms it.
Related: 2025 Ford ‘Capri’ SUV Coupe To Debut July 10
Ford – and its Lincoln and Mercury divisions – have used the Capri name on numerous cars over the years, but best known to European drivers is the coupe made between 1969 and 1986 that was marketed with the slogan ‘the car you always promised yourself.’
That same line recently appeared on the cryptic print ad placed by Ford that wants you to think it’s from a resto shop called Comeback Cars established in 1969. There are no specific mentions of the Ford and Capri names, but plenty of veiled Capri and EV references, including that date.
“We bring back icons to their legendary status, rewired for a new era,” the ad copy reads. “With 55 years of knowledge, our team has restored 1,986 classic coupes. We promise to return your car fast, back from its original glory, EV-ERY time.”
A line at the bottom of the ad asks you to Whatsapp “comeback” to the number provided, which starts a conversation with a bot who asks you if know what the game is all about, and eventually sends you a teaser image of the new car’s lights. There’s even a website listed on the Whatsapp account for the fake restoration firm that bizarrely features pictures of a classic Alfa Romeo GTV and Russian GAZ 21 sedan.
The Capri name disappeared from European Ford showrooms almost 40 years ago and doesn’t carry the same weight as the Mustang name does in America. But it’s still a well-known badge, even if it became the butt of jokes in later years, and slapping it on the new 2025 EV will help generate plenty of publicity. Unfortunately, the connection between old and new models will likely go no further than a vague hat-tip in the design of the C-pillar.
