Team Detroit collaborates with Chelsea Pictures director on global launch of the 2015 Ford Mustang
Prolific and Oscar-winning (Taxi to the Dark Side) documentarian Alex Gibney, handled in the ad arena by Chelsea Pictures, has made his biggest foray into branded content to date, directing 12 online films and a broadcast spot as part of a global launch campaign for the 2015 Ford Mustang out of agency Team Detroit. Gibney worked with the client and agency to cast a dozen diverse people from around the globe, each from different backgrounds and cultures, with their own challenges and dreams for this collection of short documentary films.
Together with Ford Motor Company and Team Detroit, Gibney afforded these very different individuals the opportunities of a lifetime: first, to drive the all-new 2015 Mustang throughout San Francisco and along the scenic California coast; and then, empowered by the experience of driving the powerful new sports car, Gibney surprised each of them with an opportunity to step towards the realization of their individual dreams. These were their “Mustang Moments.”
“’Mustang Moments’ was born from that feeling you get from sitting behind the wheel. You feel more aware and awake. You sit up a little straighter. You’re a bit more confident and present there in that moment. Anything is possible,” Team Detroit CCO Toby Barlow said of genesis of the campaign.
Ranging from “The Opera Singer” to “The Pitcher” to “The Voice Actor,” each film documents the driver’s journey, from the moment they admit their seemingly distant dreams, to their first time behind the wheel of the powerful new Mustang, through the empowerment they each felt after experiencing their own “Mustang Moments.”
“Let me just say how much fun I had doing the Ford spots. Hard work, but worth every minute of it. Working with Team Detroit and Ford to capture these ‘Mustang Moments’ was a pleasure,” shared Gibney.
All of Alex Gibney’s “Mustang Moments” films can be viewed here.
Changes Afoot For Cannes Lions 2025, Including Increasing Festival Access For Underserved Communities
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is putting plans in motion for its 72nd edition, set to take place from June 16-20, 2025 in Cannes, France. The Festival has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m (some $2,150,000) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.
Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry.” Starling added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognize the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritizing increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on December 5, 2025. More details can be found here.
With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on January 16, 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, global... Read More