Ford takes shots at US rivals in new ad campaign

Ford highlights its advantages over its Big 3 rivals in a new ad campaign.

Jun 25, 2025 - 00:44

Ford takes shots at US rivals in new ad campaign

Ford has an ace up its sleeve when it comes to competition with its domestic rivals, and it's flaunting its hole card in a new ad aimed at General Motors and Stellantis.

The automotive world is different in 2025, thanks to President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on all auto imports.

While the tariffs' effects have yet to fully cascade down to consumers and dealers, every one of the American Big 3 auto manufacturers has said the tariffs will cut billions from their bottom lines.

While Ford says it "supports the administration's goal to strengthen the U.S. economy by growing manufacturing," the company also said that tariffs will eat $1.5 billion of its EBITDA this year, an overall $2.5 billion headwind.

However, U.S. auto dealers, including those with foreign brand names, have actually benefited from tariffs in the short term.

Buyers have been motivated by the threat of tariffs, which will raise prices in the coming weeks. And sellers have been fueling that demand with incentives.

Ford, for instance, has been running its "From America, For America" campaign to provide customers with employee pricing.

But now Ford is running a new ad campaign. It highlights the benefits its decades-long manufacturing strategy has provided, while calling out its domestic competitors.

Ford calls out Stellantis and General Motors wth new patriotic ad

For a while Ford has leaned into patriotic advertising, especially for its pickup truck line, saying the F-150 is "built Ford tough," not just because it's built by Ford, but also because it's built by Ford in America.

The ad campaign has worked like a charm, making its pickup truck line the most popular in the country.

Ford is bringing the same patriotic flair to its new ad campaign.

While not naming Stellantis or GM, the commercial declares that "if they were like us," the other companies would have built 15 new plants to help the company assemble the nearly 4 million vehicles it makes in the U.S. yearly.

They would have also rejected the government auto bailout like Ford did over 15 years ago.

The commercial declares that "nobody is committed to America like Ford is."

Ford says it builds about 80% in the U.S. (outside estimates put that number at more like 77%, but who's counting?).

Of the cars it sells in the States, Ford builds the Maverick and Bronco Sport at its Hermosillo plant in Sonora, Mexico. In addition, the Mustang Mach E is manufactured in Cuautitlan, Mexico, and the Ford Edge is made in Ontario, Canada.

Besides that, Ford builds most of the cars it sells here domestically.

"All of our iconic vehicles, really – F-150, Explorer, Bronco; on the Pro side, Super Duty and Transit – are all 100% built here in the U.S.," said Ford Blue and Model e President Andrew Frick.

Ford backs the auto tariffs because it builds its cars here

Ford has backed Trump's tariffs from the beginning due to its formidable manufacturing footprint in the U.S.

"Last year, we assembled over 300,000 more vehicles in the U.S. than our closest competitor. That includes 100% of all our full-size trucks," CEO Jim Farley said during the company's last earnings call.

"In this new environment...automakers with the largest U.S. footprint will have a big advantage, and boy, is that true for Ford," he added. "It puts us in the pole position."

Car dealers in America, both foreign and domestic brands, have benefited from the tariffs in the short term, as the threat of a 25% price increase has motivated buyers to go to dealer lots.

But Bank of America is now saying that the growth it saw in consumer vehicle loan applications has declined from its peak in April, "suggesting that 'buying ahead' has largely run its course."