Introducing The All-New Mercury Milan

Introducing The All-New Mercury Milan: For Your Own Good, Get Your Own

• Mercury uses humor, storytelling and a sense of discovery to introduce the all-new Milan sedan
• Milan launch campaign includes strong emphasis on style and film in traditional advertising and experiential marketing efforts

DEARBORN , Mich. , Nov. 4, 2005 – As the 2006 Milan arrives in dealerships this season, Mercury is debuting its stylish mid-size sedan in ads that celebrate the humor and discoveries of everyday life – such as the “joys” of renewing your driver’s license.

Mercury is showcasing the new Milan – the brand’s first new mid-size sedan in more than 10 years – in a marketing campaign that continues the “New Doors Opened” theme, which last year introduced consumers to an energized Mercury brand, as well as the new Montego full-size sedan and Mariner SUV. Since that time, Mercury already has made considerable gains in consumer recognition. GFK Automotive research shows brand awareness for Mercury climbed from 65 percent in Q1 2004 to 74 percent for the same period this year.

“Today’s Mercury brand is for those who prefer to do things a little differently rather than following the crowd,” said Kim Irwin, Mercury Brand Manager. “Our target customers for the new Milan are educated, style-conscious people who enjoy discovering new ideas that set them apart from the mainstream. We’ve designed this campaign to appeal to this audience’s appreciation of the unconventional, using humor and storytelling to introduce Milan as the car that will take them to a better place.”

Television Advertising

Three 30-second television commercials, developed with Y&R, will introduce consumers to the new Mercury Milan beginning Nov. 14. The television ads will air during new network programs such as Invasion and What About Brian (ABC); The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and Medium (NBC); and Prison Break and Reunion ( FOX). They also will appear in returning high-profile network programming such as Desperate Housewives and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC); Las Vegas and Will and Grace (NBC); House and The OC (FOX); as well as The CBS Late Show with David Letterman and the network’s Late, Late Show; and Gilmore Girls, Everwood and Smallville (WB). Milan ’s cable ads will appear on channels such as TBS, The Food Network, The Discovery Channel, HGTV, Comedy Central, MTV, Style and VH-1.

“It’s My Life” provides the musical backdrop for the new Milan spots. The theme music was developed for Mercury’s “New Doors Opened” campaign by Grammy-winning artist Paula Cole and produced by Grammy winner and prolific hit-maker Don Was.

A 30-second Milan teaser ad, titled Doors, introduces the new car in the brand’s “New Doors Opened” theme, showing a garage door opening – inter-cut with other doors. The viewer sees a glimpse of the vehicle and then reads the message: Behind every door, there’s another discovery. A montage of driving shots provides a tease, never revealing a long look at the car. The spot lists Milan ’s outstanding 32 mpg fuel economy, along with its starting price of $18,995. The voiceover says, “Introducing the all-new 2006 Mercury Milan.”

Trap shows several days in the life of the Milan , noting what happens to those who covet the new car and can’t keep their distance. The ad begins on a Tuesday as viewers see a woman noticing the great-looking mid-size sedan parked serenely. When she walks up for a closer look at the Milan , she is instantly blasted backward onto the pavement by an invisible forcefield. The next day, Milan again is parked placidly in front of a building. A man walks up to get a better look at the car’s impressive instrument panel and two-tone leather seats. We hear a crack and the man falls through a camouflaged trap door in the cement by the vehicle. Cut to Thursday, as another man angles in for a close-up look at the Milan and falls victim to an invisible rope catching his foot, hoisting him off the ground and leaving him hanging upside down from a nearby tree. The voiceover says, “Introducing the all-new 2006 Mercury Milan – for your own good, get your own.”

DMV contrasts the drudgery a typical customer endures at the Department of Motor Vehicles with the blissful experience afforded a Milan owner. The viewer sees a DMV crowded with drivers with long faces waiting endlessly for their numbers to be called, and the painfully unflattering driver's license photos that inevitably result. After a series of flash pops and several photo disasters, the audience is treated to a dazzling driver’s license photo of a happy young woman. The shot dissolves to a glimpse of the woman behind the wheel of her Milan . She pulls up to a man from the DMV driving the car next to hers. He looks wistfully at her car as she speeds away. The voiceover says, "Introducing the all-new 2006 Mercury Milan – it'll take you to a better place."

The young woman featured in the DMV spot is Mercury spokeswoman Jill Wagner, who debuted in Mariner commercials last season. Wagner also is introducing the Milan along with the broader Mercury lineup in the brand’s Tier II advertising, highlighting product attributes and telling viewers, “You gotta put Mercury on your list.”

Print Advertising

A suite of print ads employs humor and storytelling to highlight Milan ’s product attributes and illustrate how the chic mid-size sedan has transformed its owners’ lives.

One reads, “Inspired by her stylish new Mercury Milan, Tina did what anyone else in her shoes would do – buy new ones. Introducing the all-new 2006 Mercury Milan. Milan ’s eye-catching style and two-tone leather seats gave Tina ample reason to add to her shoe collection; not that Tina ever needed reasons. The big question now is whether her closet will hold as much as Milan ’s trunk.” Each ad communicates the Milan ’s starting price of $18,995 and is punctuated with Mercury’s “New Doors Opened” themeline.

The new Milan print ads are now running in more than 30 publications that hit the passion points for the Milan target consumer, ranging from Glamour and GQ to Vanity Fair, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Business 2.0, Interview and Newsweek.

Continuing a Brand Rejuvenation

The introduction of the Milan marks the latest chapter in Mercury’s product resurgence. Nearly 50 percent of buyers for the Mercury Mariner, for example, have come from outside the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury customer base. The average age of a Mariner buyer is now 15 years younger than the average overall Mercury customer. Mercury expects to extend this trend with the new Milan , which was designed with an even younger customer in mind.

“Our dealers tell us Milan is already a big hit,” said Irwin. “Excitement for Milan is building not just in our dealerships, but in our virtual showroom at exploremilanworld.com. While it’s only been up for a few weeks, we’ve already drawn more than 200,000 unique visitors to the site.”

The “sweet spot” for the Mercury Milan customer is a late 20s/mid 30s “urban cool” professional whose personal style is shaped by fashion, new technologies, pop culture and every element of his or her lifestyle. To better understand this new generation of customers, Mercury is looking well beyond traditional demographics to reach these consumers’ “passion points.” Fashion and film are two core elements in Mercury’s launch of the all-new Milan . The stylish Milan graced fashion runways during New York ’s Fashion Week and joined Marie Claire’s Haute Shopping earlier this season.

Showcasing New Ideas

Ford Motor Company has entered the realm of independent film to introduce media-savvy audiences across the country to the Milan and a revamped Mercury brand. Even before it began arriving in dealer showrooms, Milan took its first bows in theatres. One of its core film alliances is Mercury’s industry-first sponsorship of Landmark Theatres, the largest independent chain in the United States .

Beginning Nov. 18, filmgoers attending Landmark Theatres will see a Mercury-branded 10-second film bumper before each independent film shown at these venues, which receive more than 12 million guests per year. In addition, as part of this groundbreaking alliance, longer, 90-second Mercury branded films will be shown in Landmark Theatres up to four weeks per year.

The Mercury film bumpers, along with shorter related vignettes, also can be seen on www.exploremilanworld.com beginning Nov. 14. Also on Nov. 14, the bumpers will be seen

on www.aolmoviephone.com as part of Mercury’s presenting sponsorship of AOL Moviephone®’s Short Film Festival.

Exploremilanworld.com: Go to a Happy Place

Tapping into the target customer’s appreciation for fashion, film and discovery, www.exploremilanworld.com provides an entertaining virtual environment where browsers can check out product features, pick up pointers on stylish living and visit the Milan Theatre to play movie trivia and view independent film clips. Mercury will expand its film content on www.exploremilanworld.com throughout the launch of the vehicle.

Visitors to the site will have an opportunity to enter the Mercury Milan World Sweepstakes for a chance to win a 2006 Milan , or a prize package getaway including airfare, a three-day stay in New York City , shopping sprees and more. The Milan launch also features prominent exposure for the vehicle on lifestyle Web sites such as Yahoo!, Weather.com, People.com, Entertainment Weekly and Men’s Health.

Milan – Modern Design, Smartly Done

The all-new 2006 Mercury Milan appeals to new, younger customers by translating Mercury’s new identity – sophisticated design, stylish and functional interiors, and rewarding, city-tuned driving traits – into a spirited sedan entering one of the industry’s most hotly contested segments. Milan builds on the design-led transformation of the Mercury showroom, incorporating Mercury’s overall theme of technical finishes and vertical design elements reminiscent of contemporary architecture. The Milan’s exterior features Mercury’s signature cues – the dramatic waterfall grille, clean lines, distinct rear treatments, and satin aluminum finishes.

The Mercury Milan brings a fresh flair to the interior design of mid-size cars by carrying the exterior’s modernity and clean surfaces through to the cabin. Mercury’s hallmarks of upscale, quality materials and an attention to detail provide a dramatic departure from the many “plain vanilla” mid-size sedans on the market today.