DEARBORN, Michigan ? Fresh off the 2012 Ford Focus's debut at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, Ford will put the next-generation car through an extended rollout with a five-week cross-country rally and a global test-drive promotion that chooses its participants through Facebook.
What Ford calls "a test-drive like no other" starts on the Ford Focus Facebook page, where an application lets people get into the selection pool for test-drives. Ford will pick 100 drivers from around the world and fly them to an unnamed location in southern Europe early next year, where they'll drive the Focus for two days and talk about their reactions. The automaker will also donate up to $500,000 to charities on behalf of the participants, divided up in increments of $10,000 per driver.
Applications will be accepted starting later this month. The requirements include a video clip uploaded to the Focus' Facebook page, in which the applicants must explain why they should be chosen and why the charity of their choice is worthy. The winners will be those who get the most "likes" by viewers on the page as well as their "reach in social networks" and "content creation skills." Ford notes it will also invite some drivers from among "established bloggers and online influencers."
A slightly different angle is taken in Ford's plan to team with the producers of The Amazing Race, the TV reality show, on a real-time interactive road rally, Focus Rally: America, which will be streamed online via Hulu. There may be some overlap in participants, though, since Ford says it's seeking "adventurous, socially connected people" through an online application or through 11 open casting calls to be held nationwide. The event starts on February 1 and lasts for five weeks. In addition to five weekly episodes on Hulu, supplementary content will be available on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the Focus Rally Web site.
In Focus Rally: America, six two-person teams will compete in a cross-country rally. The prizes are $100,000 for the winning team, plus 2012 Ford Focuses to be handed out to 10 "fans and supporters" of the winners who have signed up on Facebook.
