Henry Ford – pioneering populist and entrepreneur extraordinaire – famously quipped that customers can have their cars in “any color so long as it is black.” Well, that might’ve worked for folks during the Great Depression (wasn’t everything in black and white back then?), but customers of the Great Recession want a more cheerful hue. Who can blame them? Even the Goth girl next door needs a splash of “passion orange” in her life.
Still skeptical? Look around. Fashion magazines are heralding bright colors this fall. Bold shades are being offered in an increasing array of consumer products – from laptop computers to vacuums to stand mixers for the kitchen.
Not Your Great-Granddad’s Ford
Ford is experiencing the trend, too, with high demand for vehicle colors such as the 2010 Mustang in “Grabber Blue” and the F-150 SVT Raptor in “Molten Orange.” When the 2011 Ford Fiesta goes on sale next summer, consumers will have bright colors to choose from, including “Bright Magenta” and “Lime Squeeze.” In the U.S. already, Ford is seeing strong sales for cars in brilliant colors:
- Nearly four in 10 (39 percent) customers purchasing the new Ford F-150 SVT Raptor are choosing “Molten Orange.”
- New “Grabber Blue” Ford Mustangs are exceeding sales projections, accounting for roughly 10 percent of total 2010 Mustang sales so far.
The Ford Fiesta is coming to the United States with even bolder colors after seeing drivers around the globe gravitate to a palette of brilliant hues:
- In Asia, Fiesta buyers’ third most favorite color (15 percent of sales) is an eye-popping blue called “Vision,” followed by the lime green “Squeeze” (11 percent) with the top selling color being “Moondust Silver.” In China, nearly three in 10 (28 percent) Fiestas purchased are “Passion Orange,” making it far and away the favorite choice.
- Right behind “Panther Black” and “Silver”, Europeans are selecting “Hot Magenta” and “Vision” as their third and fourth most favorite colors, each accounting for about 10 percent of sales across Europe.
In fact, for the first time with any Ford vehicle in Europe, Fiesta buyers are saying that vehicle color was among the top 10 reasons for purchasing the car, according to Ford research.
Since May, 100 Fiesta agents have traveled more than 800,000 miles around the country, primarily driving “Hot Magenta” and “Squeeze” colored Fiestas as part of Ford’s Fiesta Movement (www.fiestamovement.com) The Euro-spec Fiestas are turning heads with their bold colors.
Quotes:
“Brilliant colors are transforming the norms in how we think about all sorts of products, allowing people to express individuality more and more through the electronics they use and the cars they drive. Color is a simple way to allow people to add a personal touch to their everyday lives – something that speaks to them and expresses a little of their personality.”
– Susan Swek, Ford Group Chief Designer, Color and Materials Design
“Almost everywhere I go, someone comments on the color (of her Lime Squeeze Ford Fiesta). Women love it, and some people even show me how it matches their cell phone. It makes me think of spring. There’s a lot of life in it. I think people are excited about having more color options these days. It allows people to express their personalities more.”
– Hilary McHone, Ford Fiesta agent and Brooklyn photographer, who had her wedding dress made this summer to match the lime green
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