American Value: Ford's Commitment to US Manufacturing

Ford has launched a marketing initiative celebrating its domestic manufacturing ahead of the US's 250th anniversary in 2026.

The campaign extends employee pricing to customers purchasing most 2025 and 2026 Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

According to Ford, the 'American Value. For American Values.' campaign was created to "give back to the people who keep America moving".

The automaker says the programme could save buyers between several hundred and several thousand dollars depending on the vehicle selected.

Andrew Frick, President of Ford Blue and Model e, says: "As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, 'American Value. For American Values.' is our way of giving back to the people who show up every day: American workers, small business owners and families who place their trust in Ford."

Focusing on workers

The campaign launched with an advertisement featuring workers from construction and manufacturing sectors, including Ford employees.

Lisa Materazzo, Chief Marketing Officer of Ford, said on a press call that the initiative was designed to focus less on "telling people who we are" and more on "recognising who they are", adding "credibility matters more than ever. Ford has always believed that American values are more than words; they are actions."

The pricing extension allows customers to pay what Ford employees pay for most 2025 and 2026 models. This sits below the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.

Lisa continued: "We're not talking about a traditional promotion. We're talking about aligning what we say with what we do – we wanted to bring those values to life."

Supporting local communities

Ford says it will expand its Building Together initiative as part of the campaign. It says that 250 dealerships are activating with local non-profits to support communities across the country.

The company says support could include blood drives and food collection activities.

Ford first launched Building Together in 2025 as a programme to support American Red Cross, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity and Team Rubicon at local community level. Ford supports these charities by hosting local activations at dealerships.

The company has also increased its Volunteer Paid Time Off policy for employees to encourage staff to work with nonprofit partners.

Manufacturing and workforce investment

Ford employs more US hourly workers and assembles more vehicles in the US than any other automaker. According to the company, its commitment to its US workforce is "foundational to Ford's identity".

It has developed training and development programmes to upskill workers and manage developing manual skills gaps. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, says these investments are necessary as the widening manual skills gap creates a "very serious" issue for businesses.

On the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast, he said: "We do not have trade schools. We are not investing in educating a next generation of people like my grandfather who had nothing, who built a middle class life and a future for his family."

Programmes Ford has in place to address this gap include the Automotive Student Service Educational Training programme, which has operated for 40 years and partners with community colleges.