TBT: Ford launches quality-minded advertising campaigns: “Have You Driven a Ford Lately?” and “Quality is Job 1” in 1980s and '90s

Over the past 120 years, Ford has been known for some memorable advertising slogans, but none may be as memorable as the long-running “Have You Driven a Ford Lately?” — from the 1980s and 1990s — which became a ubiquitous phrase heard an estimated 20 billion times in just its first eight years.  

The slogan came in the form of a commercial tagline and was featured in print ads for vehicles like Mustang, Tempo and Escort. It was also mentioned by executives in various speaking engagements.

By the end of the 1980s, Ford continued to use the slogan with its new car advertising, as it launched vehicles like Thunderbird and Taurus SHO. Ford’s advertising head doubled down on the phrase’s ever-growing importance, saying “the question becomes even more effective as it takes on new meaning with each successive new model campaign.” Ford was still getting mileage out of the slogan into its second decade, extending the phrase to include “It’s more than just a question. It's an answer.” — as well as expanding its use.  

“At first, it was interpreted as Ford asking consumers to give us a try,” the executive said. “Today, with Ford’s successes in sales, profits and numerous product awards, some interpret it as Have you driven a Ford against the competition lately?’”

The tagline was so popular that Ford’s head of electric vehicles in the early 1990s even predicted the tagline would apply to the company’s EV advertisements of the future, although that prediction never came to fruition.

Corporate songstress Kacey Cisyk became known as the voice of Ford for her work during the long-running campaign. The line “Have You Driven a Ford Lately?” became so common, in fact, that Ford estimated in 1989 that the jingle had been heard 20 billion times.