Ford kicked off its newest campaign yesterday, attending the first of many concerts hoping to reach out to potential buyers and gaining customer feedback. Eminem fans took some to stop and catch a glimpse of the new 2012 Ford Mustang, despite the chaotic crowd desperate to enter the arena. The sold out concert held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey was an ideal start for the campaign. Young males and females, primarily teens and young adults in their early twenties swarmed the vehicle, as Ford Team member Josh Mariott started it up and revved the engine.
"You couldn't ignore the sound of the exhaust when he started the car up. As soon as I heard it I didn't even have to ask where it came from. I just made my way over to the car. If my younger brother hadn't dragged me away, I may have even missed the concert," said 22 year old Mike Nelson.
While some team members were present at the car, others were at a table handing out brochures and pamphlets to give out information to those interested. T-shirts were laid out on the table for sale, with the Eminem standing next tot he 2012 Ford Mustang on the front, and "Ford Presents Eminem at the Meadowlands" on the back. At the beginning and end of the venue, Eminem himself gave his input on Ford, telling fans of their reliability and increasing exclusivity in the market.
It seemed as if fans could not get enough of the car for show in front of the entrance to the Meadowlands. It may have been the sound of the exhaust that drew the crowd, or it could have been the giant sign that read. "Buy Your Tickets for the 2012 Ford Mustang Raffle!". Some lucky Eminem fan was the winner of this fully loaded luxurious and sporty vehicle. Raffle Tickets were $50 each, and had to be bought before 9:00 p.m., two hours into the show. The winner was picked about an hour before the concert was over, and was announced by Eminem himself at the close of the venue. This concerts lucky winner was 19 year old Shaun Nickelson, who was almost brought to tears when he heard his name announced.
"I thought it was a joke at first," said Shaun. " When I realized it was for real I almost fainted. I've wanted a Mustang since before I was able to drive."
The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss, which was the model on display at the venue, is a bit different from the standard or GT Mustang. Its 5.0 L V8 engine brings it to the top of its class, and with 444 horsepower at 7,400 rpm it comes off as an intimidating ride. In reality, user reviews show that the Mustang Boss is the smoothest of its kind. In other cars, this kind of power may be too much to handle, but with this state of the art vehicle Ford took that into consideration and adapted to the change. The six speed manual transmission is standard in the Boss, as manual should be the only way to drive a Mustang. Ford also has taken into consideration the rising gas prices when designing this car. Surprisingly, this power house of a vehicle gets about 17 miles to the gallon city driving, and 26 miles per gallon highway.
Eminem fans are the first to get a taste of Fords ongoing campaign, set to continue in the near future with Katy Perry's concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Despite being early in the campaign, the presence at Eminem's concert was a success, and Ford believes that the future events will follow in suit.