Ford Ranger Dives Deep in 'Night Swimming' Campaign from AMV BBDO

FORD of Europe has launched a new Pan-European campaign for the Ranger pickup truck, showcasing its best-in-class 800mm wading depth. Ranger is Europe's top-selling pickup and winner of multiple awards, including the bi-annual International Pick-up Award 2020 and What Car? Pick-up of the Year 2021.

Created by AMV BBDO and entitled ‘Night Swimming’, the creative work subverts pickup category conventions of trucks battling dusty deserts and rocky mountains, piloted by rugged outdoorsy men.

The campaign comprises a film in long and short formats for TV, VOD, YouTube and social media as well as a suite of bespoke digital and social ads, digital OOH, and print.

The film features beautiful underwater scenes of people swimming at night, apparently in a pool. It’s then revealed that they’re actually swimming in a lake and the water is lit not by pool lights, but by the headlights of Ranger pickups, demonstrating their 800mm wading depth.

Peter Zillig, director of marketing at Ford of Europe, says: “Ford Ranger is the no.1 selling pickup truck in Europe because, as a product, it stands head and shoulders above competitors. Our strategy was to create a campaign that would outperform typical pickup truck advertising. The outcome is a stunning demonstration of the Ranger’s class-leading wading depth, just one of the capabilities that make it THE pickup”.

Martin Loraine, writer and deputy ECD at AMV BBDO, says: “The convention for pickups is to show rough terrain and tough loads, but Ranger has the best wading depth in the category. Showing it driving through deep water felt right creatively but also makes it stand apart from other pickups.”

Directed by Adam Berg at Smuggler, the film was shot in a film studio and on location in Romania in late summer 2021. The campaign’s print and digital out of home feature stunning images shot by photographer Benedict Redgrove.