Look! You can buy the Euro Fiesta in the US!

dirtyblueshirt · #1 (**permalink**) 12-05-2010, 11:05 PM

Now that I've grabbed your attention

, please take note of the following FAIL courtesy of Mossy Ford in Pacific Beach (San Diego), CA:

Local Ad Fail by dirtyblueshirt, on Flickr

Slipster17 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 08:39 AM

the problem is that 90% of consumers wouldn't notice the difference, lol.

**Ataru** · #3 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 01:21 PM

Bill Knight Ford in Tulsa has that same image on their board above their dealership, so more than one dealer has done it.

MGREEN11 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 01:36 PM

I think in advertising terms, they call that 'bait & switch'. Not illegal, but not right. Many dealers around in Chicago follow similar tactics. As an example advertise a Mustang for a very competetive price and the picture will show a Mustang GT when they're actually pricing an entry level car.

Slipster17 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MGREEN11

I think in advertising terms, they call that 'bait & switch'. Not illegal, but not right. Many dealers around in Chicago follow similar tactics. As an example advertise a Mustang for a very competetive price and the picture will show a Mustang GT when they're actually pricing an entry level car.

The difference is that with something like the Mustang advertising (which I've seen plenty of times) it's done intentionally - Show a really high spec model to get folks in the door then get them to settle for one around the price you listed. With the Fiesta, I doubt they even know that the one they have on the sign is the Euro only model. Ford is billing the Fiesta as the start of their 'world car' initiative even though it is different from EU to US and most dealers of oblivious to the actual differences in the two cars.

MGREEN11 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slipster17

I doubt they even know that the one they have on the sign is the Euro only model. Ford is billing the Fiesta as the start of their 'world car' initiative even though it is different from EU to US and most dealers of oblivious to the actual differences in the two cars.

Good point; you're probably right.

Deanh · #7 (**permalink**) 12-06-2010, 02:36 PM

instead of going down the "bait and Switch " road , which incedently is hogwash, did you ever stop and think that when the campaign was drawn up there were no US models avalable for photographic purposes?........happens all the time....and theres usually a little asterix at the bottom of the page...Euro model shown....our first Fiesta literature was the same, because the US version wasnt finalised....