In 1997, Ford made an ad starring Steve McQueen.
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There was just one problem.
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He’d been dead for 17 years.
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Ford wanted to position the new Puma as sharp and sporty, and they figured there was no better symbol of cool than McQueen himself.
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So they did something completely wild for the time.
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They digitally inserted him into the ad.
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This was 1997. No modern CGI or AI. No shortcuts.
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It took five days of painstaking work to make it happen, and it paid off.
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The result looked so real that people genuinely questioned whether the footage was authentic.
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It sparked controversy, debate, and nonstop conversation.
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Whether people loved it or hated it, everyone was talking about it.
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The ad went on to win a Cannes Lions Gold award, and Ford doubled down, spending roughly $150 million on the campaign.
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Here’s the real lesson.
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Shock value creates attention.
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Attention creates conversation.
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Conversation creates momentum.
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And even though the tools have changed, the core princip...