Ford, social media and the new Fiesta

Last year I wrote about my trip to Los Angeles in the Ford Mercury Mariner that Ford lent me for a test drive. This week I found out Ford is using social media ONLY to market their newest release, the Fiesta. It's a sleek little compact that should get 40mpg. Ford's big idea? They're having competitions between city groups of social media enthusiasts.Here is Lemon, Denver's chosen team leader. He was given a Ford Fiesta (European model because the American one isn't even out yet), a gas card, and a budget to host some events for the team.

He runs a kick-buttowski company called Your Name in Graffiti. He and his partner Kanz painted an outdoor mural at Colfax and Oceola in Denver in the rain and snow and wind, just for this event. Ford Fiesta Movement.
Here you see Lemon with Derek, who will be the videographer of the Ford Fiesta events. They're leaning close because we had to whisper. A random poetry reading group took over the entire cafe where we were meeting. Suddenly our rousing discussion of the difference between graffiti art and graffiti vandalism got put on hold. All I know is that some lady somewhere in Denver would be perfectly happy if all the buildings in the city were white.
So who gathered at this cafe to talk about Ford's new movement? Well, I was invited to meet the artist and I learned that he's hosting a party tomorrow, that's right, Friday April 9 2010. Click his link to find out more. Then Aimee and Jeremy arrived, and I found out that Jeremy had also been given a Ford to test drive last year. The small gathering was overseen by Paul from the PR company. Paul revealed what a gigantic leap of faith Ford took in putting advertising into the hands (fingers to be exact) of social media mavens. And it paid off. I learned that there are something like 12,000 reservations already placed for this car that no one has seen. Well, now you've seen it. Here's a photo. I'm in the light brown sweater. That's Denver's Union Station behind us. Just as we wanted to pose for this photo, the meter man came driving by to try to ticket us, as the meter had just run out. There's Derek, feeding the meter so we could take a photo together.
I joined Foursquare just because Lemon told me he gets more points for his Denver team when people check in to his party Friday night using it on their phone.


Again, here is the link for the Denver team Ford Fiesta Movement. RSVP to some events (there will be 4 total). I want to see Lemon win even though I have no idea what he'll win.
I found an even better link to learn about and RSVP for tomorrow's party.