New Ford Focus Commercial Features Ground Breaking Juan Atkins' Techno Hit
DETROIT, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Ford Focus commercial will
feature
breakbeat tunes of renowned Detroit techno artist Juan Atkins. The
advertisement breaks November 11. With techno music moving beyond the
underground club scene, Ford brings back the origins of this cutting-edge
music style by utilizing the electro track "No UFOs." The thirty-second
"Detroit Techno" spot will premiere on MTV Networks and will air for one
month
on major network and cable television.
The high-energy, fast paced commercial uses the hard driving mix of "No
UFOs" and an assembly line multi-programmable robot DJ. The commercial is
mostly shot through the cyberDJ's point of view. RoboDJ's equipment
transforms into car parts in a futuristic manner and then the parts are
assembled to the car. For example the turntables are pulled up by the DJ's
robotic arm and converted into an aluminum wheel and tire that is machined
on
to the Focus' hub. Ultimately, the final transformation occurs when all the
DJ's equipment is altered into a CD silver metallic Ford Focus ZTS.
"As a Detroit-based automotive company, and Detroit being "Techno City"
we
felt a particular connection to the Detroit techno music genre because it
was
created in our own backyard," said Bob Fesmire, Focus brand manager. "That
is
why we decided to utilize Juan Atkins' 'No UFOs' track because we wanted to
link together this legendary Detroit-based music with our hot-selling
Focus."
Music a Key for Young Consumers
Focus has been a hit with young car buyers, with almost half the buyers
age 35 or younger. Focus marketing revolves around fashion, music and
summer
fun, all designed to appeal to young consumers.
The Ford Focus and Detroit Techno music mirror each other in many ways.
Techno kids are forward thinkers that scream and dance and so are Focus
buyers. Ford Focus owners are influenced by technology, style, music and
the
idea of change. Detroit Techno was born from the same roots. Focus is a
global brand with international appeal that was developed in Europe.
Detroit
Techno's core is the balance of African-American styles with cold European
synthesizer pop. The "Detroit Sound" has traveled to Europe and re-emerged
in
the U.S.
"Detroit techno appeals to a wide, cross-cultural group of people that
are
all unified by this beat and scene." said Fesmire. "This music was created
partly by the pounding clangor of the Motor City's auto factories. It
became
natural for us to incorporate Detroit techno into our commercials after we
discovered that young people are embracing techno."
"We feel confident that viewers of all ages -- especially our targeted
buyer -- will embrace this commercial because of the smooth electronica
beats
and the slick visual images of the Focus," concluded Fesmire.
About Detroit Techno Music And Juan Atkins
Born and raised in the Motor City, Atkins is the son of a concert
promoter
and the grandson of a career Ford employee.
Detroit Techno music was born around the time Atkins released the track
"Clear" in 1982, with partner Rick Davis. He created this sound by
exploring
his vision of a futuristic music that welded the more cosmic side of funk
with
rigid computer synth-pop.
Atkins, along with fellow contemporaries Kevin Saunderson and Derrick
May,
began to create this new sound after being influenced by artists like
Prince,
Gary Numan, the B-52's and Kraftwerk in the late 70s. From 1985 to 1989,
Atkins went out on his own as Model 500 and released some of his most
important material including "No UFOs." Except for the underground club
scene, the United States didn't embrace techno music until this year --
nearly
20 years later.
Atkins continued to record throughout the 90s and maintained his
international success throughout Europe, where Detroit techno boomed almost
since its inception. Now, as the new emerging techno scene begins to look
back to the past to find musical innovators, Atkins has been hailed the
"godfather of techno." He continues to record today.
The first car ever to be named both North American Car of the Year and
European Car of the Year, Ford expects Focus to appeal to a tremendously
diverse group of buyers. Setting new standards for small car roominess,
comfort, driving dynamics and stylish appearance, the Focus is priced from
$12,280 for the three door ZX3 to $15,580. It is available as a coupe,
sedan
and station wagon.
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