Ford: Operation Drive One Integrates with Extreme Makeover Home Edition

May 1st edition of Extreme Makeover Home Edition was very emotional. The Dickinson family in South Carolina, which had four children, also had the father of the family serving in Afghanistan. Ford joined the teams assisting the family of a Marine, whose home's condition was continually depreciating due to spreading mold and flood damage.

Ford Motor Company, which is tooting its ongoing Operation Drive One ad campaign, was actively advertising during the commercial breaks of the show. Then, all of the sudden, Ford appeared during the show and donated a 2011 Explorer to the family. No need to mention the level of the family's excitement when learning the news.

The move is very smart by Ford. Extreme Makeover Home Edition is a show watched not only by individuals, but by families. It's all about families, children and home. Whoever did Ford's ad campaign and suggested the integration, did a good job. Judging from this tweet we can assume that Christi Rohrkemper's team, an assistant planner at Team Detroit, was responsible for the integration of Ford's new campaign with the popular TV show.

It should be mentioned that this was not the first time that Ford integrated and was mentioned at the Extreme Makeover Home Edition. During the same show's October 24, 2010 segment the automaker donated another 2011 Ford Explorer to Trisha Urban who's husband died of heart attack on the very day their daughter Cora was born. Urban devotes her time to fund-raising on behalf of the American Heart Association and Ford donated a 2011 Explorer to her as she travels to raise funds.