Ford Builds Brand Passion Through Alice + Olivia Collaboration
The current era of Ford's lineup can be described as passionate. It's models enable a lifestyle that embodies a sense of adventure, capability or speed, or all of the above.
But this can be said about a lot of brands.
Which is the thinking behind the newest project from the Blue Oval: a style collaborative with luxury fashion label Alice + Olivia.
A capsule collection of shirts, jeans and jackets from Alice + Olivia feature Bronco images and ... More slogans Ford
For Bronco, Ford wanted to find a way to translate the idea of capability into empowerment and to appeal to women, allowing drivers to extend the experience into the lifestyle of a Ford Bronco owner. A fashion brand would covey the idea nicely.
It might seem a natural to partner with a brand that produces clothing and accessories for off-roading and overlanding, or one that delivers a performance that is as tough as Ford's lineup.
However, while that idea would easily appeal to current drivers passionate about the Ford brand, would it extend to those who are not yet there? Ford's brand partnership team needed to find a fresh and inspiring idea.
Sydney Sweeney is seen driving her Cherry red 1969 Ford Bronco GC Images
A few years ago Ford discovered, almost by accident, that the actress Sydney Sweeney, a Gen Z star of White Lotus and Euphoria, among others, was a Ford fan, not only as a driver but also as a mechanic who restored her own vintage Bronco. The company then partnered with her to design and give away a Mustang in a sponsorship that brought a whole new light to the brand, giving it exposure to younger, female consumers.
For Ford, the empowerment and authenticity that Sweeney brought to project was key and why it elicited so much passion among consumers following the story and vying to win the Mustang.
Customized Bronco Sasquatch models Ford Partnerships Are Seen As A Gateway To Brand Growth
Ford realized that reaching outside the natural alignment with brand partnerships could be the key to appealing to new audiences and customers. For each model that the company seeks partnerships with, they look for a story that 'resonates with an audience that we don't talk to,' said Tyler Hill, senior manager of global licensing at Ford.
Ford's partnerships span the lifestyle space, from the Mustang and Raptor in video games such as Fortnite and Rocket League to, Pac Sun, True Religion and Huckberry, but those are just the start. These partnerships have been so successful that Ford plans to focus on building more in the coming years.
The Mustang icon is plays out on classic Alice + Olivia pieces Ford How Ford Decides Which Brands To Partner With
Ensuring that a partnership is the right fit is one of the most important elements, Hill said. Having a deep knowledge of a brand's values, its goals and its business plans is key. To facilitate this, Ford is represented by talent and brand agency CAA, which helps to find potential partnerships, looking for those overlapping values and business priorities, and makes the connection with companies that are a good fit.
But the collaboration has to go deeper than that, Hill said. 'Shared investment is part of the key to figuring out what we want to develop together.'
The collaboration starts with both brands developing the concept together; from there, they develop design boards, identify the pieces to be developed and work to align the collection and directional design, as well as the use of logos. With pre-production samples in hand they will look to the original design board to ensure continuity and if things aren't exactly right they will tweak the product.
For Ford, getting the logos, modern imagery, heritage details and even vintage ads, slogans and other intellectual property right is a must. Ford maintains an archive of all materials that their partners can use to workshop a collection and ensure that it's done properly.
Classic retro bellbottom jeans are a natural fit for the Bronco collaboration Ford Authenticity Is At The Root Of All Collaborations
Another important part of the Alice + Olivia collaboration, or any collaboration, is authenticity. In this case, Ford envisioned using a fashion collaboration to showcase the beach lifestyle that Bronco embodies, a bit of a counter to Bronco's off-road reputation. Working with a softer, brighter color palette, Ford customized two Broncos for the sun-and-sand lifestyle, a perfect pairing with a female-focused fashion brand.
Alice + Olivia was a natural not only for its appeal as an confident and empowering brand, but the fact that founder and creative director Stacey Bendet is a Bronco fan. That she takes a very nurturing posture toward anything that might impact the brand image of Alice + Olivia helped too; Bendet and her team took a deep look at how the Bronco partnership would work before agreeing to it. A
The Alice + Olivia collaboration focuses on the beach lifestyle Ford Capsule Collection From Alice + Olivia
The result of the collaboration is a 10-piece capsule collection of jeans, jackets and shirts priced from $195- $795 that dropped on June 20th. The collection, which features the Born Wild slogan as well as modern and vintage images and logos, is a limited edition offering and is expected to sell out quickly. Consumers who miss it this time should keep an eye out for more, though; Ford plans on collaborations as a part of its strategy for the future and possibly, more with Alice + Olivia.
The interior of the Alice + Olivia collaborative Bronco Sasquatch Ford The Bronco 'Capsule Collection' Will Be Auctioned Off
Also, in a limited edition of two, are the Ford Bronco Sasquatch models with custom exterior wraps and and updated cabins featuring elevated materials and finishes. The two custom models will be auctioned off in July at God's Love We Deliver Midsummer Night Drinks to benefit the charity. The other custom Bronco will also be auctioned off but Ford hasn't yet said when or where that will happen
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