York on ads: No 7: Ford

'WELCOME to focus on Ford,' says Chris Normal, handing over to Wendy Regular, his co-presenter on Ford's curious new advertising strand - not so much an ad, more a public-service announcement. Then the blue studio set cuts to stock footage of snarl-ups here, and Wendy proceeds to describe a useful new Ford device to help you receive traffic reports wherever you might be. She looks for all the world like the co- anchor of an ITV regional contractor's teatime local news round-up - Grampian World perhaps.

The production values are extremely modest; the presenters studiously unglamorous. No Renault-style brand- personality stuff for Ford, no Vauxhall supermodels: it's all user-friendly, low- key, selling safety and value. The Ford mission statement is written in letters of marketing-speak fire: 'Everything we do is driven by you'. It's a market-driven approach; a service-intensive one. It's a knowing modesty (you can just see the art director specifying 'the weather-report look').

'Till next time, safe motoring,' say Chris and Wendy. Peter York

Videotapes supplied by Tellex Commercials.

(Photograph omitted)