The 2021 Ford Bronco is only a few weeks from its debut, but Ford is ramping up the campaign surrounding the reborn off-roader in an attempt to not only build up precious buzz, but also to try and establish the groundwork for a dedicated community of Bronco enthusiasts that will help the brand grow for years to come.
This is highlighted by an all new shadowy teaser image that shows all three members of the Bronco family. While the darkness does obscure the finer details, it does confirm that the standard Bronco will not only have removable doors and panels, but also the ability to be configured either as a two or four door model. The Bronco Sport also comes along for the ride for those that need a smaller pony for their urban adventures, and Ford is quick to point out that all three will come with all-wheel drive as standard equipment (the only models in the segment to offer all-wheel drive as the sole driving layout.) However, the models themselves can only do so much to build an identity, ultimately, it is what’s made around them that can be the true difference between success and failure.
Part of this is a rallying cry to bring Bronco enthusiasts together, and Ford believes it has managed to create such a thing with the Built Ford Wild slogan. A creative play on the Built Ford Tough moniker that has defined the Ford F-Series for the past few decades, Built Wild goes beyond a mere marketing pitch, and represents some of the core principals that helped steer the Bronco through its development phase. This included extreme off-roading and torture tests, as well as other challenges aimed at molding the SUV into a very worthy revival of the beloved nameplate.
“Rugged vehicles are in our heritage and we see strong growth opportunities with this ever-more popular segment,” Kumar Galhotra, Ford president, Americas and International Markets Group. “The Bronco brand meets that need by creating a family of truly capable off-roaders to take our customers further into the wild. We’ve leveraged extensive off-road experience from vehicles like our F-150 Raptor to ensure that every Bronco delivers the ‘Built Wild’ toughness and durability our customers expect.”
In addition to introducing the new slogan, Ford also revealed plans to further expand the marketing campaign surrounding this vehicle. As mentioned awhile back, Ford is granting its certification to The Bronco Nation website which is designed to be a hub of information for Bronco owners. This includes a dedicated blog, news section, and even a small store for Bronco related merchandise. But if your looking for even more Bronco swag and can’t wait for Bronco Nation’s store to grow, the auto giant is also teaming up with Amazon to operate a separate storefront there, where you have a bigger pool of merchandise, with profits from each sale being funneled towards Bronco related steward projects.
Lastly, Ford also took the time to touch on the illustrious past that the Bronco has, with the model blazing an impressive trail during its original production run. In addition to appearing in more than 1,200 songs and 200 movies over the years, the Bronco also managed to carve a very potent legacy in off-road racing. This legacy has even extended to its resale value, with first generation Bronco models rapidly becoming a must have commodity in the collector car market. Look for that trend to continue upward over the next few years, especially as 70s era Broncos are given the chance to shine on the auction block.
When the 2021 Ford Bronco makes its appearance on July 13th, it will help create a compelling new chapter in the greater history of Ford. This chapter will include more customer immersion, with the company revealing that it plans to host off-roading experiences that will be a part of the deal for new Bronco owners. Dubbed “Bronco Off-Roadeos” these experiences will take place in four separate locations, with all of them designed to help Bronco owners gain confidence and skills behind the wheel of their Bronco in demanding environments that are tailor made for all skill levels. Ford claims that these experiences will formally open next year.
In the meantime, Ford has released two new teaser videos with the second video giving us a more comprehensive preview of the exhaust note. While the full engine lineup is still unknown, it’s very clear that Ford engineers were very keen on giving the Bronco a distinctive soundtrack. It also appears to debunk rumors of a V8 lurking under the hood of the Bronco for now, though we will still have to wait until July 13th for all answers to be revealed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4A3xjgZ4hY&feature=emb_title
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.