Ford Dares Canadians to Go ‘Doors Off’ This December in Bronco Campaign from Wieden+Kennedy

As the cold draws in along Earth’s northern hemisphere, Ford Canada is showcasing Canadian’s impressive ability to withstand the freezing cold and still participate in outdoor activities. 

This winter, along with Wieden+Kennedy, the brand is daring Canadian owners of its iconic Bronco vehicle to drive them all December with the doors off, no matter the weather. They’ve dubbed the month ‘Doors Off December’.

The initiative is backed by a cultural truth that Canadians pride themselves on their ability to take on the great outdoors - 31.8 million participate in outdoor activities according to statistics from the Association of Canadian Studies. And, despite the harshness of the country’s northern winters, these activities do not stop during the brisker months.

So, Doors Off December will showcase Ford Bronco’s winter off-road capability while encouraging Canadians to partake in a challenge only Canadians would be up to. Ford will be leveraging Instagram and TikTok to offer brand enthusiasts the opportunity to enter the sweepstakes for one of 5 all-expenses-paid trips to the Bronco Off-Roadeo in Tennessee. Starting on December 2nd, participants can enter the sweepstakes by liking the announcement post, being a follower of Ford Canada on Instagram or TikTok, and commenting their response to ‘What’s the wildest thing you’ve done in the cold outdoors?’

“The ask was to do something scrappy and unexpected for Bronco in a place where it naturally thrives, the Canadian wild,” say Justin O’Toole, art director and Nina Stitt, copywriter at Wieden+Kennedy. “So, we brought to life an outdoor challenge with the hopes of getting more people talking about Bronco in a Canadian context.

“With a cult following comes the responsibility to be true to the ethos of what fans fell in love with,” they add. “In Bronco’s case, it’s a legacy of off-roading adventure. That said, our main thought was, how can we do something that appeals to the unique interests of Canadian Bronco fans first but has a hook interesting enough to pique the interest of a broader audience.”

Justin and Nina knew that Canadians who live an outdoor lifestyle love to embrace the cold, so they gave them a way to do that with the Bronco, a vehicle that’s at home in any type of crazy location or season. An interesting anecdote during the research into Canadians’ winter exploits was the quirkiness of habits such as wearing shorts in the absolute depths of winter. “So we thought, what would be the equivalent for a car? In Bronco’s case, it was taking the doors off in the middle of winter.”

To promote the initiative, Ford is taking over Canada with guerilla-style out-of-home posters, social videos showcasing a doors-off Bronco, and bringing TikTok influencers such as The Reel Coach and Natalie Alysa to join in on the fun. Ford has also created some limited edition merch designed to protect Bronco owners from Canada’s winter conditions while they off-road.

“We’re looking forward to seeing all of the off-roading fun Canadian Bronco owners will have this month with their doors off! And make sure to remove the slush when you put them back on,” say Justin and Nina.