Ford Mobile Services

In a world demanding convenience, the way people get their vehicles serviced was a century old. The on-demand economy had completely rewired American expectations, yet the automotive industry remained stuck in a model that demanded that customers come to them. For the first time in its history, Ford was losing the service battle. 68% of its owners were going to independent providers, not for better quality, but simply for an easier, more convenient experience. Our team helped Ford get customers out of the waiting room by bringing service where they want it.

This was not a marketing problem; it was a structural one. With over half of its owners admitting they were too busy to visit a dealership for needed maintenance, Ford had to completely reimagine its century-old service business. The challenge for the integrated WPP team was to help Ford pivot from a model that took time away from people to one that gave it back, aligning the company once again with the lives of the working Americans it was built to serve.

The strategy, guided by Henry Ford's founding principle of accessibility, was simple but radical: Stop fighting the come-to-me economy and join it. The insight was that convenience was no longer a perk; it was the product. Working as deeply embedded partners, the WPP team of VML, Mindshare and WPP Production helped Ford create a complete business transformation. The approach was to build an entirely new, end-to-end system that brought certified dealership service directly to owners, wherever they were – from their home driveways to office parking lots – even places like the golf course, at no additional charge.

Ford Mobile Services was launched as a complete digital and physical ecosystem. A nationwide fleet of over 4,000 purpose-built Ford Transit vans, staffed by certified technicians, became fully operational service departments. This physical fleet was powered by a digital system in the Ford app that allowed for seamless scheduling, real time technician tracking, and simple on-site payment. The national creative campaign did not sell a service; it sold what the service gave back to people: time. This powerful reframe transformed a logistics operation into an emotional proposition every American could understand.

The response from owners was nothing short of transformative. Ford Mobile Services completed 2.2 million appointments in 2025, generating $450M in revenue, up 17% year on year. Crucially, the new service model won back former customers, with 32% of this revenue coming from owners who had previously left Ford for independent providers. Ford Mobile Services is now a powerful recruitment tool, with 47% of non-owners saying they are more likely to buy a Ford because it exists. By giving people back their time, Ford set a new, long overdue precedent for the entire auto industry.