DETROIT (AFX) - Ford Motor Co. plans to launch new television ads in July featuring Chief Executive Bill Ford talking about efforts to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
The latest salvo to improve the company's environmental reputation with the American public, the commercial is part of a series of ads Ford has been running since October that feature the executive talking to the camera about changes taking place at the auto maker.
In past spots, issues such as safety have been addressed. The emphasis on oil dependence shifts the focus to a hot-button issue in the United States as high gasoline prices and concerns about energy independence weigh on consumers.
The move comes as U.S. auto makers continue to face criticism for cultivating what has been often referred to as an addiction to oil. Ford, like its rival General Motors Corp., has long raked in the bulk of its North American profits by selling large pickup trucks and SUVs, many of which carry poor fuel-economy numbers.
Ford spokeswoman Becky Sanch said Bill Ford will tout the auto maker's recent efforts to improve the overall fuel economy of its lineup by introducing the market's first hybrid SUV and improving the efficiency of powertrains. The executive also will talk about Ford's commitment to selling flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on the E85 blend of ethanol and gasoline.
Bill Ford has been at the center of the auto industry's oil debate since taking the helm of the auto maker earlier in the decade. He has repeatedly made statements and even set company targets related to the need to boost the fuel economy of cars and trucks. Still, Ford's product portfolio remains among the worst-performers of the large players in the industry when it comes to average fuel economy.
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