The Way the Ratting Out Your Friend Experience Should Be

[SLM]

LOL! This is brilliant!

Alberta dealer gets back at thieves via radio ad

September 12, 2012 , by Nicholas Maronese

(Holly Hashimi for ConnectFortMcMurray)

Ford dealer offers $10K reward for info on stolen wheels

An Alberta Ford dealership who found themselves the victim of theft decided to turn their loss into a gain by using the incident to promote their business.

Marty Giles (pictured), owner of North Star Ford in Fort McMurray, Alberta, had a set of tires and rims belonging to two F-150 trucks and a Ford Mustang stolen from his dealership over the weekend, and decided instead of getting mad, he'd get even.

So shortly after the incident, Giles recorded a radio ad explaining he'd hand over a $10,000 reward to anyone who could give him or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) any information leading to the thieves' arrest.

In the one-minute spot, Giles also promises to donate another $10,000 to a local charity chosen by the RCMP. If the tires are returned, he says, he'll "call off the posse, no harm, no foul."

The radio ad's humourous tone – Giles dares the thieves, "You think one of your pals won't turn you in for 10 grand?" – has already netted a YouTube video of the ad several thousand listens.

The ad closes with a play on the dealership slogan: "Northstar Ford: the way the ratting-out-your-friend experience should be." Is this one of the funniest radio ads you've heard in a while?


Best radio commercial - YouTube


Alberta dealer gets back at thieves via radio ad - Sympatico.ca Autos

 

[petros]

Funny

 

[SLM]

I think it's always very cool when someone can take a very commonplace negative situation (theft) and turn it into something positive (charitable donation) and fun (entertaining tongue in cheek ad).

 

[petros]

I doubt it is something that turned poisitive..... yet.. The rims for the harley truck are worth more than 10K to him.

 

[SLM]

I doubt it is something that turned poisitive..... yet.. The rims for the harley truck are worth more than 10K to him.

It's about the attitude.

 

[petros]

It's excellent advertising. that is for sure.

 

[SLM]

Exactly. And the incident as well as the dealer's humours message will take the 'advertising' a lot further than it would have otherwise. So that can be a positive thing.

If he gets back what was stolen, all the better.

 

[petros]

He won't get the wheels back. I'm not 100% sure but I think the harley truck wheels are number matched to the truck but I bet the truck wil be long gone by then. I bet the harley truck, mustang GT and F-150 are all on sale.

 

[JLM]

I love it. Hope it brings results!

 

[taxslave]

He won't get the wheels back. I'm not 100% sure but I think the harley truck wheels are number matched to the truck but I bet the truck wil be long gone by then. I bet the harley truck, mustang GT and F-150 are all on sale.

Wheels optional?

 

[petros]

Wheels optional?

Harley F-150 knock off rims are a G-note for the set. From Ford I'd wager a single wheel is more than a G

 

[taxslave]

Pretty toys for city boys. Would last about an hour on a logging road.

 

[petros]

Pretty toys for city boys. Would last about an hour on a logging road.

For the price, I'd rather buy 2 bone stock F-150s

 

[TenPenny]

Yeah, but the target audience has money to burn, and not a lick of sense, and zero intention to use the truck as a truck.

It's like Hugh Hefner getting married - absolutely no intention or ability to use the thing as intended, it's just to look at.

 

[JLM]

Yeah, but the target audience has money to burn, and not a lick of sense, and zero intention to use the truck as a truck.

It's like Hugh Hefner getting married - absolutely no intention or ability to use the thing as intended, it's just to look at.

Hugh is so old he'd probably have a hard time just finding it!