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Ford to Re-Air Its Global Anthem Based On Demand from the Public

21 December 1999

Ford Motor Company to Re-Air Its Global Anthem Based On Overwhelming Demand from the Public

    DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 21 -- It's back!  Reaction to Ford
Motor Company's historic global television commercial that aired in
virtually every country around the world on Nov. 1 was so overwhelmingly
positive the corporation has decided to air the commercial again.  The
commercial will air on network and cable stations in the United States on
Jan. 1 and run internationally on cable stations on Jan. 4.
    "We heard from consumers and employees around the globe who were very
moved by our global anthem," says Jim Schroer, Ford Motor Company vice
president of Global Marketing.  "We received phone calls, letters and e-mails
from men and women all over the world saluting our anthem and asking us to
consider running it again, and we're very pleased to be able to respond to
their requests.  We created this anthem as an homage to our customers -- the
men and women who have made Ford Motor Company what it is today -- and it's
very gratifying to see that it resonated so positively with them."
    The ad aired initially on Nov. 1 in a two-minute version in virtually
every country around the globe.  To keep the emphasis on the human experience,
the anthem used no narrative copy.  Instead, it was supported by 13-year-old
Welsh soprano Charlotte Church singing "Just Wave Hello" -- the first track on
her latest CD.
    Ford commissioned Australian songwriter Danny Beckerman to write the song.
The words of the song are matched to images of how people of different
cultures gesture hello and goodbye.
    Television viewers can see Ford's global anthem again on Jan. 1 during
coverage of highly watched events such as the Rose Bowl Parade on the ABC and
CBS networks.  The ad also will air on New Year's Day during broadcast
coverage of blockbuster movies like "The Bodyguard" on CBS and "Jurassic Park"
on NBC, in addition to running on other network and cable programs.  The
anthem will continue to air internationally throughout the first quarter on
network and cable TV stations.
    The Nov. 1 airing of Ford's global anthem was the first television
presentation of all seven Ford Motor Company product brands -- Ford, Lincoln,
Mercury, Mazda, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo.  The company Web site,
http://www.ford.com , received nearly twice as many hits that evening during the 9-10
p.m. time slot when the anthem was shown.  In addition, the Global Anthem page
on ford.com received more than 43,000 hits on Nov. 1 and 2. The anthem also
was carried via the Internet around the globe.  Additionally, Charlotte Church
has performed the song "Just Wave Hello" at several public appearances
following the Nov. 1 airing.