Source Ford Motor Co. plans to reveal the all-new Ford Bronco on July 9, which falls on the birthday of Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson. Simpson, a former football star, is known internationally for being in a white Ford Bronco that aired on live TV leading a massive police chase on June 17, 1994, after being charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
“I gotta believe this is a mistake. Didn’t anybody look at the calendar?” said John McElroy, veteran industry observer and Autoline.tv host. “Ford Motor Co. does not want to correlate the launch of such an iconic and important vehicle with a police chase with a notorious” person. “Everybody in the world knew that O.J. was fleeing in a white Ford Bronco.”
The chase, a 60-mile slow-speed pursuit, was carried live on national TV. It was watched by 95 million people, according to KNSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in San Diego. Simpson was a passenger in the 1993 Bronco while his friend and former teammate Al Cowlings drove the I-405 in Southern California. Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader, said, “I’m not quite sure what to say …”
Amazing! Simply Amazing! That’s the best way to sum up this stroke of marketing genius by the creative minds at Ford. How do you get attention for the re-release of a classic SUV in the midst of a global pandemic and major civil unrest? You release that vehicle on the birthday of the man who made it infamous, that’s how!
I tip my hat to the marketing department at Ford for having the balls to just do this with NO SHAME. They clearly give zero fucks about what is appropriate or considered tasteful and that must be the mindset they think buyers of a new Bronco want to be affiliated with. Are you currently, or do you aspire to be, a successful, athletic, high profile person who dabbles (allegedly) in bloody double homicides in your free time? Then you’re in luck because Ford has the vehicle for you!
I really think Ford should double down on this play and just go all in on the “OJ Theme” for the re-release. As part of the festivities of the July 9th release of the Bronco there needs to be a full reenactment of the slow speed chase complete with Al Cowlings driving and OJ huddling in the back threatening to blow his own brains out. Then instead of the chase ending as it did years ago this time the Bronco would pull into a Ford dealership, Orenthal would pop out of the back, and a Johnnie Cochran (RIP) lookalike would emerge holding a glove and shouting, “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit!” Then OJ could announce that not only was the Bronco being re-released, but a special “The Juice” edition would be available in a limited run of 33 trucks, one for each of the $33.5 million he was ordered to pay as a result of losing the civil trial. OJ could then get into one of the Juice edition Broncos, drive to the nearest golf course, and commence “searching for the real killers” as he has been doing at golf courses across America since his acquittal.
As far as I’m concerned this story just made 2020 ok. All of the pandemic craziness and racial unrest was just what we needed to overcome to reach this beautiful moment. We’ve all earned this, so mark July 9th on your calendars because it’s going to be a killer day!