With a renewed emphasis on quality, 40 years ago this week Ford cast employees as part of its long-running “Quality Is Job #1” ad campaign.

“Ford Motor Company has launched a corporate advertising campaign that will tell the world in no uncertain terms that quality is a reality at Ford” read the Aug. 14, 1981 announcement, which also noted Ford reported a 25% improvement in quality between the 1980 and 1981 model years. “It is the public’s perception that quality is a direct function of our employees’ on-the-job satisfaction as well as their interest and involvement in assisting management to iron out the difficulties that stand in the way of a quality product.”

Early on in the campaign, spots featured employees in their normal work environment sharing their contributions to the company’s quality efforts, as well as their feelings about a joint quality initiative with the UAW. Each featured the phrases “Quality is more than a priority, quality is Job 1” and “Better and better, see what we’ve done. At Ford, quality is Job 1.” Print ads featured closeups of employees opposite their statements, along with “Quality Is Job #1” in big, bold letters at the top.

Throughout the 1980s, more than 250 employees appeared in TV commercials, set in facilities such as Michigan Assembly Plant, Chicago Assembly Plant and the Product Development Center. Using actual employees in the ads was cited in market research as the biggest reason for the campaign’s success.

An internal quality update called Q1 was also created. “We want all our employees telling all of their friends, neighbors and acquaintances about the progress we’ve made working together,” the announcement read.

The campaign, produced by New York advertising firm Wells, Rich, Greene ran for nearly 17 years until it was replaced in 1998 by “Better ideas. Driven by you.” This campaign also used real employees, expanding the scope of Ford’s wins beyond quality to position it as a forward-thinking company that empowers its own people to develop ideas that benefit customers.

Were you or someone you know featured in the Quality Is Job #1 ads? Let us know in the comments below.