Classic Cars & Commercials: Exploring the 1957 Edsel Marketing Campaign

The Edsel, codenamed "E-car" during its development phase around 1955, was an ambitious project for Ford. Years of market research and design went into the car, culminating in a grand launch campaign in 1957.
While the Edsel campaign generated a lot of excitement with its splashy marketing, including magazine teasers and a star-studded television special, the car itself didn't quite meet the public's expectations. Sharing parts with existing Ford models and lacking groundbreaking features, the Edsel arrived at a time when consumer tastes were shifting towards smaller, more economical vehicles. The Edsel's design, particularly the grille, also divided opinions. Though intended to be stylish, it wasn't universally loved.
In an effort to capture the public's imagination, Ford enlisted the talents of John Hubley, a famous animator known for his work on cartoon characters like Mr. Magoo. Hubley's commercials for the Edsel employed a whimsical style, but unfortunately they couldn't overcome the disconnect between the car's features and the marketing hype. Although sales initially started strong, they quickly dipped, leading to the project's cancellation within two years. While the Edsel's story didn't have a happy ending, it serves as a valuable reminder in the auto industry about the importance of aligning marketing promises with consumer needs.
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[@user-qv5lm8nr5n]

Wow. I think we just found inspiration for Don Draper!

[@SS-ip3yg]

I do like the Edsel

[@Pauley_in_GP]

As you touched upon, one of the _many_ things that combined to doom the Edsel was that for a year before it was introduced, it was hyped as an all-new car like no other ever built. It wasn't long before the press and public realized that they were in fact Fords and Mercurys with controversial front and rear styling and lots of doodads. Makes one wonder where all that development money went.

[@whatsamattayu3257]

I read a book about the development and marketing of the Edsel. There was a lot of sabotage from the Ford model top management. Just one of the many factors that spelled doom for Edsel from the start.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

Rather than developing the 1958 Edsel, Ford Motor Company should have introduced the Ford Falcon two model years earlier. The market for smaller passenger cars grew strongly in the late 1950s. FoMoCo lost vast sums of money on not only the Edsel... but the 1956/1957 Continental Mark II and the 1958-1960 Lincoln.

[@listprice889]

@@SpockvsMcCoy Instead of competing with Cadillac, it seems Ford was obsessed with being superior, even at the cost of losing money on each car sold and never putting a dent in Cadillac sales.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

@@listprice889 Lincoln did not have a consistent or winning strategy in the 1950s. The 1956 Lincoln and 1956/1957 Continental Mark II were the best cars they produced in that era. The 1952-1955 Lincolns were good cars... but they competed more with the Buick Roadmaster and Chrysler New Yorker. The 1957 Lincoln was a terrible facelift on the beautiful 1956 model. Both the 1949-1951 and 1958-1960 models were controversial flops.

[@johnchildress6717]

New ones upon delivery had many problems that should not have left the factory

[@FloydKirby-tw6qs]

I HAVE DEALER SALES BROCHURES 😊

[@jasongilmore2709]

Anything really cool? Just have them or have some connection to Edsel?

[@TheGbeecher]

Talk about 'egg on your face'...😮😢😅