Finalists Announced in the Ford Ranger Global Challenge

[russellw]

July 1 2011

The five finalists in the Australian leg of the Ford Ranger Global Challenge have been announced.


Each of the participants has been selected from a pool of 1,374 competition entries from across Australia, all vying for the opportunity to test a new Ford Ranger 4x4 ahead of its Australian market release later this year.



The Ford Ranger Global Challenge is a unique experiential marketing campaign run by Ford. Launched on May 13 this year, it invited members of the Australian public to nominate the toughest challenges it believed would test the capabilities of the all-new and yet-to-be-released Ford Ranger.



Five challengers, whose proposed vehicle tests have been selected according to the quality of their entries, will now use a Ford Ranger Double-Cab 4x4 to conduct their nominated challenge. Each of these vehicle challenges will be filmed and shared on-line with the Australian public for voting. The challenger who receives the most votes will win an all-new Ford Ranger.

The Global Ford Ranger Challenge kicked off in Australia and will soon continue through Thailand and South Africa before moving to Europe and South America.

During the Australian competition's entry phase, Ford received a kaleidoscope of challenges to test its all-new tough truck.

"My team and I are thrilled by the response from the Australian public," said Beth Donovan, Ford Australia's Vice-President for Marketing, Sales and Service.
"We have received an enormous variety of entries for the Ford Ranger Global Challenge. They include adventurous outback expeditions, incredible off-road challenges that would test a military tank, and even towing enormous objects.
"This competition is a unique and authentic way to showcase the all-new Ranger's tough truck credentials," Donovan said.
"We have selected what we believe to be the five best proposed challenges and now it's time to put our all-new Ranger 4x4 to the test."


The five finalists in the Ford Ranger Global Challenge are:


Mr Terry Vallance (QLD)
Challenge: The all-new Ford Ranger will be put to work in his fisheries surveying business located in the wilds of far-north Queensland.


Mr Shaun Scully (VIC)
Challenge: Referred to as the "car crusher" by his friends, Scully will test the all-new Ranger to its limits during the daily grind of running his Sunbury-based pig farm.



Mr John Sellenger (WA)
Challenge: Sellenger will see if the all-new Ford Ranger can survive the bruising rigours of his freight company's demanding daily operations, located in north-west Western Australia.



Mr Caleb Wheatley (SA)
Challenge: Wheatley will seek to prove Ranger's "Built Ford Tough" claim by putting the all-new Ford Ranger through a punishing, non-stop 40-hour endurance test.



Mr Steven Lee (VIC)
Challenge: Lee, a former Alpine World Cup champion skier, will seek to discover if the all-new Ford Ranger can survive working in his business during Falls Creek's shivering and slippery snow season – without having to use snow chains.



These five finalists, presented at this year's Australian International Motor show, will now conduct each of their respective challenges using an all-new Ford Ranger 4x4. Each of these will be video-recorded and shared with the Australian public at the official Ford Ranger Global Challenge website .



By clicking on the website's "View & Vote" tab members of the public will be able to register and select their favourite challenge.
On-line voting for the Ford Ranger Global Challenge will start on XX August. When all on-line votes have been tallied in October, the overall Australian winner will receive their very own all-new Ford Ranger.


Source: Ford Media

[grey_esp]

your kiding me. Out of all the awesome ideas people listed they choose 4 people to use it as a work hack for a day and one dude to do a decent test. I think I can already see who the winner is.

Another Ford marketing Fail!

[familybus]

Originally Posted by grey_esp

your kiding me. Out of all the awesome ideas people listed they choose 4 people to use it as a work hack for a day and one dude to do a decent test. I think I can already see who the winner is.

Another Ford marketing Fail!

i think Ford are a bit scared of this vehicles capabilties and dont want egg on there face if they give it a real challenge!

not a sore loser or anything by no means because there were a lot of better entries than mine but seriously some of the finalists would be deemed to be on the easy side considering all the hype on how tuff the Ranger is!

P>S and no one from NSW grrrrrrrrr

[Luke Plaizier]

If you looked at the entry fine print, the finalists were to be picked based on their 'personality' and facebook presence rather than the idea itself.

If you pick those who will market best in the social media space, then you get a win if that's your target.

Welcome to the new world.


Lukeyson

[tezranger]

Hi all

I am one of the finalists (Terry FNQ) and am looking forward to challenging the Ranger. If you have some things you would like to see tested during the challenge just let me know and I'll see what I can do.

While the original focus seemed to be on your "social prescence" I don't have a Facebook page or a smart phone. Most of my work is on the Cape or in the Gulf of Carpentaria where phones don't have service anyway. I was extremely surprised to be a finalist and plan to make the most of it.

If you have questions about the vehicle I'll happily report back here regularly if anyone is interested.

Cheers, Terry

[Smoke Pursuit]

Hi Terry,

Well done.

Do you have the car yet?

[tezranger]

I get the car in early August so a few weeks away yet. I have had to juggle my work schedule so I can have at least 10 days off to have fun. Their fuel card, their car, my choice on what to do with it...

[robbo/region15]

Spent the day @ Broady yesterday ,yet another supplier Issue.....oops!Havn't been there since March this year.Word is the Aussie Ute finishes next year,to be replaced by the Ranger,fully Imported,interesting move yet again by Ford.....