bdegrand Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) Chevrolet Pokes Holes - Literally - In Ford's Aluminum F-150 Pickup Bed In New TV SpotJoann Muller , FORBES STAFF I write about industrial innovation and the global auto industry GM dumped 55 landscaping blocks into the beds of Chevrolet and Ford pickups to see how much abuse they could take.Pickup truck advertising is rife with bravado and bluster: ever manufacturer claims to have the toughest, most dependable, most capable trucks on the market. In the end, it usually doesnt matter much, because truck owners are among the most brand-loyal customers on earth.But can a commercial highlighting a series of gashes in a competitors truck bed change peoples minds? Chevrolet thinks so.In a new round of commercials for its Real People, Not Actors campaign, Chevrolet stunned focus group participants by showing what happens when you drop 825 pounds of concrete landscaping blocks from a height of five feet into the bare pickup beds of a Chevy Silverado and a Ford F-150. The steel bed of the Silverado was scratched and dented, but the Ford bed, made of aluminum, sustained multiple punctures.The side-by-side demonstrations, which were done without bedliners, were meant to highlight the advantages of Silverados roll-formed, high-strength steel bed vs. Fords highly touted, lightweight aluminum structure. http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2016/06/08/chevrolet-pokes-holes-literally-in-fords-aluminum-f-150-pickup-bed/?yptr=yahoo&ref=yfp#7a0d008a2465 Edited June 8, 2016 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) I see that as signs of desperation. That's the Chevy way. Let's not update our products, let's try and discredit the competition. Just like taking a crap car and putting a big engine to make up for everything else. They put the right material in the right places? I guess crash test doesn't count. Edited June 8, 2016 by fordtech1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Should be very interesting how they backpeddle when they come out with Aluminum pickups... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Should be very interesting how they backpeddle when they come out with Aluminum pickups... Unless they use their new patents to have the inside of the pickup bed high strength steel while the outer panels are aluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) General Motors says it didn’t set out to make a Chevrolet commercial dissing its chief rival Surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre. "We weren't trying to attack Ford with this commercial. We believe that we are providing a valuable public service! These are educational films! Why, if you don't watch them, when you dump landscaping blocks from a height of 5 feet into the bed of your $50k truck, as people do, you may be horrified to discover what you have wrought." Edited June 8, 2016 by RichardJensen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 NB: Don't post entire articles and remember to always include a link back to the source. http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/topic/60906-do-not-post-full-copyrighted-articles-fair-use/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 All Ford needs to do is show their crash test results and how "NO other truck earns as high a safety rating." None! Boom! Aluminum. If a potential buyer has to weight the option of a bed that I shouldn't drop heavy objects from 5 feet into my bed, or one that will protect me better in a crash, I'm betting crash will be more important. I see a lot of beds in 1/2 tons around here without a scratch in them. Meaning they don't use the bed for a bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 when you dump landscaping blocks from a height of 5 feet into the bed of your $50k truck, as people do, you may be horrified to discover what you have wrought." Hmm last time I checked, dropping a landscaping brick from the height of about 3-4 feet into a hard surface normally doesn't bide too well for the brick itself.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev-Mo Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) You guys can spin this all you want but the toolbox corner piercing the bed was quite astonishing. Chevy found a weakness. I know bed liners are standard fare for suburban family trucks but Ford still claims to be the work horse! A lot of fleets just buy and use the hell out of their trucks. All the maintenance trucks in my Denver Tech Center office complex are bare metal beds. That being said, I think the future of truck beds will be composite material - as soon as it can be cost effective. Edited June 8, 2016 by Kev-Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 All Ford needs to do is show their crash test results and how "NO other truck earns as high a safety rating." None! Boom! Aluminum. If a potential buyer has to weight the option of a bed that I shouldn't drop heavy objects from 5 feet into my bed, or one that will protect me better in a crash, I'm betting crash will be more important. I see a lot of beds in 1/2 tons around here without a scratch in them. Meaning they don't use the bed for a bed. They already have radio ads that so that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) You guys can spin this all you want but the toolbox corner piercing the bed was quite astonishing. Chevy found a weakness. I know bed liners are standard fare for suburban family trucks but Ford still claims to be the work horse! A lot of fleets just buy and use the hell out of their trucks. All the maintenance trucks in my Denver Tech Center office complex are bare metal beds. That being said, I think the future of truck beds will be composite material - as soon as it can be cost effective. Ford field tested beds in fleets. http://www.equipmentworld.com/ford-has-been-secretly-testing-prototype-2015-f-150s-at-construction-sites-and-mines-for-3-years-photos-video/ Edited June 8, 2016 by fordtech1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) I don't believe any of this including an empty toolbox piercing the bed. I want to see independant third party testing from PUTC or someone. PS Love how the pic of the Silverado damge is zoomed in and very grainy and the F-150 is zoomed out and crystal clear. smh. PPS Howie Long is back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnZFX3HyJ28 Edited June 8, 2016 by Bryan1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think it's an interesting ad. Ask yourself, if the shoe was on the other foot, and Ford had a steel-bodied pickup and GM was all-aluminum, would Ford run a similar ad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Over 500k views. And will be all over TV. Ford better get on this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTm2F4ysQrE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think it's an interesting ad. Ask yourself, if the shoe was on the other foot, and Ford had a steel-bodied pickup and GM was all-aluminum, would Ford run a similar ad? Probably not. Ford goes out of their way to NOT mention any other brand by name. They may say "the competition". But it's been a long time since they've mentioned the actual competitor's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) The shocking thing is that Ford probably knows about the vulnerability of the bed and signed off on it. Ford may want to make bed liners standard equipment or consider a bed redesign. I'm sure the ad will have some effect, putting further doubt into Ford's Truck credentials, but I doubt it will have any serious effect on sales. I know allot of people (including my Brother-in-law) believe Ford makes the worst truck in the industry because of the perceived frailty of EcoBoost and Aluminum. Remember, Ford began these type of video campaigns, but only Chevy has continued them and Ford stopped. Edited June 8, 2016 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Probably not. Ford goes out of their way to NOT mention any other brand by name. They may say "the competition". But it's been a long time since they've mentioned the actual competitor's name. Not by name but I've seen them use props like a Ram head and say other things that you knew were directly aimed at Chevy. But they're not going to do that type of A/B demonstration. The only issue I have here is that you would NEVER drop landscape blocks into the bed of a pickup, so the results are pretty much irrelevant in the real world. Now if they had a real world situation that produced a similar result that would be worth reporting. This just comes off as childish and desperate just like the other so-called "tests". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtech1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 What about the rusted dents and scratches in the steel. Each have their pros and cons. I think the cards were stacked. I don't buy the toolbox test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev-Mo Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I think it's an interesting ad. What makes it more interesting is Chevy doing this while they scramble to catch up to Ford in Aluminum technology. To the average Joe with no loyalty - Chevy wins this round, regardless of any special effects or photo tricks used. The toolbox is the walk-off hit. Like Fordtech, I am skeptical -but the purpose of ads is to sway and this is very effective to a guy on the fence. I would bet I can drop a toolbox all day long and not get that precise strike to pierce the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 The only issue I have here is that you would NEVER drop landscape blocks into the bed of a pickup, so the results are pretty much irrelevant in the real world. Now if they had a real world situation that produced a similar result that would be worth reporting. This just comes off as childish and desperate just like the other so-called "tests". Pickup truck adverts like the one Bryan1 posted in this thread often involve rather contrived scenarios. Several Ford, FCA, Toyota, and Nissan truck adverts demonstrate other situations that are irrelevant in the real world. I admit these adverts can be amusing to watch, especially for an old geezer like me who has seen such advertising for 40+ years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 In the first video posted, Huey states "they most important part of the truck, the bed". Umm, personally, I don't find that the most important part. To me, engines are more important. And there Ford has them beat. And will still be beat in the foreseeable future. Even if you count engine/trans as one, Ford still has them trumped. Truck with most torque? 3.5EB. Best FE, 2.7EB. Chevy has to go to "most powerful V8" to win any argument. Negating the fact that the 3.5EB beats it in every real world third party comparison. So this is what Chevy is left to nit pick over. I'd say Ford does need to respond to this is some manner. Maybe not directly. But like I said before, state "most capable and safest truck in its class". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blwnsmoke Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Sheesh.. no one will drop landscaping bricks into the back of a pickup truck like that. When picking up, they would be loaded via bobcat or tractor with fork lifts on a pallet. However, I could see the tool box issue happening. Then again, has there been one post on any of the truck forums where they have said "I dropped something and it made a hole in my bed" on the 2015/2016 F150s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 UPDATE: A Ford spokesman had this response: “When you’re the market leader for 39 years, competitors sometimes try to take shots at you with marketing stunts. The fact remains that F-150′s high-strength, military grade, aluminum alloy cargo box offers the best combination of strength, durability, corrosion resistance, capability, safety and fuel efficiency ever offered in a pickup. We have built nearly a million new F-150s, and our lead over the competition continues to grow.” He added that Ford and third-party quality surveys show that more than 99 percent of F-150 customers have no issues with their cargo boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 They should have left out that last sentence. It makes it sound like 1% of 1 million trucks owners did have problems with the quality of their beds (~10k trucks) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailhiker Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 My real world test would involve firewood, but yeah...with either bed material, I'd have a durable plastic liner. I'd imagine the spray-on rubber liners are not only heavier, but hard to slide heavy objects from front to back. I wonder if some type of epoxy fill could easily be used to repair holes in the aluminum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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