Listen up you pencil-necked geeks — unless you’ve been living under a, uh . . . shoot. Unless you don’t own a television, you know who Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is, and you’ve seen one of his Ford commercials. That’s right, his Ford commercials. Because a hulking mass of man like Dwayne Johnson is built tough, just like our trucks. Assuming you haven’t seen any of his commercials, we’re going to break them down for you, just like Dwayne Johnson would. Awesomely, with rippling biceps. Because he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He doesn’t use an axe to split firewood, he yanks a stump out of the ground and pulls it apart like a modern day Chuck Norris. He doesn’t pick roles, he tells the studio what movie he wants to make. And he doesn’t drive just any vehicle, he drives a Ford.
Warning: It is very easy to fall down a rabbit-hole of The Rock related YouTube clips. Proceed with caution unless you have a full afternoon to watch Rock-related awesomeness.
The first commercial The Rock did for Ford has him rightfully espousing how great Ford vehicles and service are. First, he walks through a utopian street, free of crime and monsters (that he obviously banished) before taking a trip through the Ford factory, watching technicians do their work, and then finally, standing in a field with 35 thousand Ford specialists. And yes, according to this behind the scenes video, the field full of Ford specialists was a bit of green-screen movie magic. But you know what wasn’t shot on the green-screen? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, standing in a -30 degree fahrenheit (that’s -34 degrees celsius for those of us in Canada using the metric system) wind tunnel. Because like a Ford F-150, The Rock isn’t afraid of a little inclement weather. In fact, I heard he lent a polar bear his coat one time because it was chilly. But I digress. The main point of the commercial — Ford, Ford service, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, are amazing.
This clip starts with a little teaser. An amuse-bouche, as the French call it. And before introducing us to his team, the greatest actor of our generation (and 2016’s People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson manages to slip in a reference to Apocalypse Now — a film directed by one of our greatest directors — Francis Ford Coppola, based on a literary masterpiece. If they remade Apocalypse Now, there is no way The Rock wouldn’t be cast. If there were a real apocalypse, there is no way The Rock wouldn’t be there, kicking ass and fending off society’s ultimate demise. And I have no doubt in my mind he’d be driving a Ford while he did it.
Side-note: In his latest box office smash Rampage, The Rock drove a Ford Bronco. It’s important to note that this Bronco isn’t the one coming out in 2020, but rather a prototype from 2004. They had written a different vehicle into the script, but The Rock said “Not a chance I’m driving that dinky little Barbie jeep wannabe. Give me a Ford!”*
We’re then introduced to The Specialists, a crack team of Ford specialists (like those you can find at the Team Ford service department) who take servicing Fords very seriously. This isn’t those old-timers from The Expendables, and it isn’t a bunch of spandex wearing weirdos like The Avengers — this is a group led by the greatest leader of all time: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I heard he ripped out George Washington’s cherry tree with his bare hands, and then called Washington out for lying about doing it himself. Should The Rock run for president -and he’d have my vote- he would immediately be the greatest President Johnson ever (Lyndon B. who?). His first order of business would be carving his own face into Mount Rushmore, four times. And he’d do it himself. Because there is nothing the man can’t do.
I mean, just watch this commercial where the man, the myth, The Rock, helps out The Specialists (remember, real leaders lead by example) by holding a set of tires that will be finding their way onto a Ford. Talk about humility. I heard he was offered an award for the humblest man in the world, and turned it down. I mean, how long has he been standing there, without breaking a sweat? Have you ever tried to move one tire? Let alone holding four while just relaxing? That is strength and discipline. The man went over twenty years without eating candy. When was the last time you went twenty minutes? Anyway, if you thought he didn’t know how to lead by direction, then you would be so painfully wrong, as evidenced by this clip:
The Rock’s work with Ford doesn’t stop at commercials. Just check out this clip where he gives a veteran a brand new Mustang to say thanks for your service. If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, then you may just be a monster. And I don’t think I have to tell you what The Rock does to monsters.
Don’t forget, it’s Dwayne Johnson’s world and we’re just living in it. If it’s a game of The Rock, paper, scissors, for all of the diamond encrusted marbles, I’m picking The Rock every time. I may be just a pebble compared to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but that doesn’t mean I can’t follow in his Godzilla-like footprints, and that means driving a Ford. As luck would have it, Team Ford has an incredible selection of new and certified pre-owned Fords for sale, at incredible prices, every day. So if you want to be more like The Rock, then get your butt down to Team Ford and get behind the wheel of something that’s built Ford tough!
*Actual conversation would have been substantially more terrifying for the person on the receiving end of The Rock’s deep, bassy voice.