Since I criticized Ford Motor Company for its bizarre decision to back down from American Family Association threats, it’s worth praising Ford for coming to its senses.
Ford Motor Co. yesterday said it will resume advertising Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in gay-themed publications, following an outpouring of fury from gay groups that said Ford’s recent decision to pull the ads fed anti-gay sentiment and emboldened enemies of gay rights.
“I think we’re back in gear with Ford,” said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce. “They responded to each of the concerns we raised in a positive way. It’s a great outcome.”
In a letter addressed to the groups, Ford said not only will it resume buying corporate ads featuring Land Rover and Jaguar, it will begin advertising Ford’s other brands in gay-themed publications as well. In the past, Ford had not purchased advertisements for the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands in gay-oriented publications.
That last point is of particular interest. The response to Ford over the last week has apparently been so overwhelming, the company is not only renewing its advertising commitments, it’s expanding them.
The AFA has not yet responded to Ford’s reversal, though one has to assume the group will be livid. But Ford needs to remember one important thing: the AFA is livid at everyone, all the time, for imagined anti-family slights. It never really matters. The AFA will no doubt huff and puff, but remain completely incapable of blowing any houses down.
It was a mistake for Ford to allow itself to be bullied by a strange fringe group. Kudos to the company for getting back on track.