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Ford of India in hot water for Figo celebrity bondage ads

Apparently sensibilities in India, at least in the case of some Ford marketing partners, are downright lascivious at times. Case in point are a new series of print ads, presumably touting the vast cargo capacity of the Ford Figo hatchback, that involve more than a whiff of T&A, S&M and other sexy abbreviations.
In all seriousness, the advertising campaign is taking some major heat in the Indian press for being outrageously sexist. All three images - which seem to be produced by a graphic artist with some Heavy Metal work in his/her portfolio - show bound and gagged people stuffed into the Figo's boot. With a tagline reads, "Leave Your Worries Behind." one version features a peace-sign throwing Silvio Berlusconi holding hostage three buxom and barely clad women, all wearing ball gags with hands and feet bound. Charming. Another version shows Paris Hilton ­similarly kidnapping a trio of Kardashians, while a third (tame in terms of the clothing at least), has Michael Schumacher toting Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton.
Clearly in bad taste, at least, the Indian source also questions the timing of these risqué Ford ads, as the follow by days new anti-rape legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. Ford has responded in a statement, that it and its advertising partner (JWT India) "deeply regret" the ads, and claim that they "never should have happened."

Fallon picks Ford F-150 King Ranch, launches dealership contest

New truck! Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show has been searching for the perfect new truck for a few weeks now, soliciting help from all corners in the process. Last night, Fallon made the announcement that the Ford F-150 King Ranch - in all of its cowboy glory - had been picked as his big winner.
To add some more spice to a storyline that now dips deeply into the realm of the advertorial, Fallon also announced a contest to see which Ford dealership would get the privilege of selling him the King Ranch. Dubbed "Fingers on a 4x4" The Tonight Show has invited 10 dealer reps from around the country to keep their hands on Jimmy's F-150 for as long as possible. Last salesperson standing wins.
Watch Fallon make his pick and introduce the dealer reps below, and be sure to click on the second video for a live-streaming feed of Fingers on a 4x4 in action (the contest seems to be going strong).

Ford confirms Everest SUV production for China

According to Ford, the Chinese SUV segment grew by 49 percent in 2013, and the Blue Oval held a 4.5 percent market share. At the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, Ford is showing the Everest SUV that, while just a concept for now, will go into production in the near future.
The Everest is a big, brawny seven-seat SUV that mixes solid, chiseled styling and contemporary Ford design cues. Up front there is an angular version of the trapezoidal grille and sharp, wraparound headlights. The beltline rises in the rear to make the back appear higher than the front. The rear seems just as chiseled, with the taillights resting in jagged scallops. There is no doubt that this concept means to look rugged, and ready for rough roads - the whole thing looks pretty great.
The truck was penned by Ford's Asia Pacific design and engineering team in Australia, and it was first shown in Sydney last year. Ford's JMC joint venture will build the truck for the Chinese market, and it will be sold at Ford dealers there. The Blue Oval isn't hinting at what powers the production version yet, but it reportedly shares some components with the foreign-market Ranger.