Ford Super Duty to Play Role on CBS's Survivor
By: Mike Levine Posted: 05-10-07 09:30 PT
© 2007 PickupTruck.com

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The truck that's big enough to be its own island gets a spot on CBS's reality game show, Survivor, tonight. This season's contestants are playing for a chance to win $1 million and Ford's new 2008 Super Duty will play a "monumental" role in the last tribal council where the show's winner will be selected.

This brings back memories of Ford's Lightning Rod concept truck from 2001.

Here's the press release from Ford, below:

FORD TRUCK HAS MONUMENTAL IMPACT ON DRAMATIC SURVIVOR: FIJI FINALE AIRING SUNDAY, MAY 13 ON CBS

• The 2008 Ford F-Series Super Duty – Ford’s boldest, most capable truck ever – joins the cast of the hit CBS reality show “Survivor: Fiji” New Super Duty off to a fast start, only on Ford dealer lots an average of 15 days with customers continuing to demand higher-end models with even more capability.
• Survivor joins the broad range of “Built Ford Tough” marketing alliances, including “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe, Toby Keith, NASCAR, Harley-Davidson™, the Home Depot and Cabela’s.

DEARBORN, Mich., May 10, 2007 – The most capable Ford F-Series ever – the new 2008 F-Series Super Duty – will figure prominently in tonight’s episode of the hit CBS reality show, “Survivor: Fiji“, as the final tribal council vote sets the stage for the dramatic conclusion to the show’s 13th season.

Details of tonight’s episode are a closely guarded secret but a Ford F-350 4x4 powered by Ford’s cleanest diesel engine will show off its bold design, towing capability and “Built Ford Tough” pedigree to take on the world’s toughest conditions. The Super Duty then will be featured in the season finale on the Sunday, May 13 broadcast live from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City.

Ford also will host the winner of the “Built Ford Tough Survivor: Fiji” promotion, John Quintana of Tucson, Ariz., at the finale to pick up his grand prize – a new 2008 F-Series Super Duty truck. As part of the promotion, Ford will reveal the “Built Ford Tough Moment” that contest entrants selected from a list of highlights from all 13 Survivor seasons.

The new Super Duty features an available all-new, more powerful 6.4-liter Power Stroke ® dual-turbo diesel engine; an industry first Ford F-450 pickup with unmatched capability; and numerous class-exclusive, innovative features such as the Tailgate Step and PowerScope Mirrors.

Survivor has been one of the most highly-rated shows on television since its debut in 2000, and it is widely credited with sparking the boom in reality-based programming. Viewership averages about 15 million per episode. Each season, a group of contestants are sent to remote locations under unimaginable circumstance – dangerous climates, limited sustenance, and mentally and physically draining challenges – with a simple goal: outwit, outplay and outlast the other contestants.

“You have to be tough, resilient and creative to be a ‘Survivor’ and that’s why the show is such a great partner and a perfect fit for the F-Series Super Duty,” says Ben Poore, Ford truck group marketing manager.

Super Duty’s super start

The 2008 Super Duty, which was launched in February 2007, has taken the concept of “Tough Luxury” to a new level. A breakthrough interior and innovative features have led to strong demand for high end Lariat and King Ranch models, and Super Crew cab configurations.

The new truck is racing off Ford dealer lots thanks to a massive marketing campaign featuring the truck’s unmatched capability during major events such as February’s NFL Super Bowl and NASCAR’s Daytona 500. On average, new F-Series Super Duty models are selling in about 15 days (about a quarter of the industry benchmark of 60 days) with a larger percentage of higher-end models moving fast as customers recognize that Ford has raised the bar significantly on its already leading heavy-truck lineup.

In fact, the new Super Duty is the most capable and refined heavy-duty pickup ever thanks to the segment’s only purpose-built platform and a more powerful and quieter 6.4-liter Powerstroke diesel engine. The all-new, top-of-the-line Ford F-450 can tow 24,500 pounds – 8,000 pounds more than the nearest competitor. Ford also redefined interiors for big work trucks much like it changed the game for half-ton pickups when the new Ford F-150 was introduced in 2003.

Ford dealers are reporting that customers are moving up to these models at higher-than-expected rates. For example, top-of-the-line Lariat models account for nearly 45 percent of Super Duty sales, a 50 percent increase compared to historical sales, including triple the amount of King Ranch versions.

For the first time, Ford also is selling more F-350s and F-450s than F-250s with nearly 55 percent of customers opting for the bigger trucks. Ford remains the only heavy-duty truck maker to capitalize on this customer demand for more capability after splitting the Super Duty platform from the Ford F-150 in 1998.

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