“Built Ford Tough” is a motto that we’ve been hearing for decades. It always involves the Ford F-Series—the most popular truck and car in America, also for decades—and it usually comes accompanied with a gravelly Ford announcer voice.

The “Built Ford Tough” slogan has been around since 1979 and it’s held strong ever since. Ford sees no reason to get rid of an advertising gimmick that has helped them sell millions of trucks. And that’s because it really wasn’t an advertising gimmick.

Just like slogans such as “Got Milk?” and “Just Do It,” Ford’s slogan for their immensely popular pickup truck series has become a household name. It’s basically synonymous with the Ford F-Series, and there really isn’t any reason for Ford to change something that ain’t broke.

It has succeeded because it’s simple and it explains Ford’s pickup truck line very well. It has outlasted countless other slogans from other big car companies, and that’s because it is memorable and it focuses on quality rather than quantity.

The Key To A Memorable Slogan

Built Ford Tough logo
via WallpaperSafari

When Ford advertisers came up with the prototype slogan in 1979, “Built Ford Tough,” they had no idea what kind of success it would have. They had no idea that three little words would lead to billions in revenue and would skyrocket the company to previously unknown highs.

According to CarBuyerLabs, the thing that makes the slogan so memorable is that it communicated the qualities that people already connected with the company. It stayed as the slogan through ups and downs, never wavering, and led to the F-Series becoming the most successful pickup truck of all time—by a long shot.

While companies like Chevy and Dodge were constantly trying new things to keep up, “Built Ford Tough” kept on chugging. At this point, it’s legendary.

Of course, Ford has gone on to many other advertising slogans like “Go Further” and “Everything We Do is Driven By You,” and “Built for the Road Ahead,” but this one has always been a mainstay—it’s like their flagship tagline, tailored specifically to their flagship truck.

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Quality Over Quantity

Modern Built Ford Tough slogan
via The News Wheel

The Ford F-Series has been selling more than 50,000 units per month for years now—since at least 2005, and definitely further back. GoodCarBadCar.net shows us that even during slumps, those figures barely dropped below 50,000, and in the good months, it was closer to 80,000-plus.

The “Built Ford Tough” slogan helped make it the best-selling car in America. But the reason doesn’t lie in the slogan, but the truck itself: the F-Series outpaces its competition based on its merits alone. Its quality, durability, and resilience are what make it such a dependable vehicle, and that’s what “Built Ford Tough” perfectly conveys.

The F-Series’ all-aluminum chassis is lighter and more durable than traditional steel frames. The engines all outperform their competition, and the drivetrains continue on for thousands of miles.

It’s the spirit of the truck that makes it so popular, and it just so happens that a perfectly timed and catchy advertising line goes along well with it, too.

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