Ford unveils 'Blue' bid at Shanghai Auto fest

To differentiate itself from rival brands at the major auto event, Ford eschewed the clutter of its competitors, opting for a simple offering that emphasised its core brand components. Accordingly, colour alone was the starting point for Ford, with a massive swatch of 'Ford Blue' acting as the backdrop to its stand, which started at one end of the company's area and curved around the corner clear to the other end. The Ford blue was supposed to send a clear message: that Ford is big, strong and powerful. At the same time Ford did not want to look stodgy or too traditional in a market where consumers want futuristic. To that end, Ford's zone also included a number of components to take it beyond just the blue. "We are not trying to say too many things," said Francis Court, creative director at Imagination, the events consultancy responsible for the Ford stand at Shanghai. "We are trying to say a few things well." "You ask yourself what you want to communicate and then say it simply and boldly," he adds. "We keep everything very consistent rather than making it visually complicated, supporting the essence of the brand. You know you are in Ford territory." To explain the virtues of one of Ford's concept cars, for example, Imagination set up a transparent video monitor that was controlled through hand movements in front of the screen. The viewer could see the car through the screen and read about the car by calling up different explanation panels with a wave of their hand. It was dubbed "the Matrix" by some users and highlights Ford's high-tech side. At Shanghai, where most of the visitors have a penchant for games and gadgets, the queue for this attraction was usually many people deep. Ford also used a low-tech approach to express its progressiveness. Ford also handed out 'seed cards' -- small pieces of marketing literature regarding Ford's environmental efforts at the show. Embedded within the cards were seeds that could be planted. "We have to push their Fordness in experiential terms," said Court. "Ford understands that it is more than just about the product, it is about how long people stay at your stand and how they feel when they leave