Ford Threatens Lawsuit Over Pinocchio Ads

[hatrack]

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 1, 2004 (ENS) - "The national environmental group Bluewater Network has received a cease and desist letter from Ford Motor Company for its campaign attacking Ford’s environmental policies. Ford is demanding that the group stop “unlawful conduct” in a print and internet campaign that depicts its chairman and chief executive, Bill Ford, as Pinocchio.
That unlawful conduct is libel, which is false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person

Bluewater began running ads in national publications this month including "The New York Times," "Mother Jones," "E Magazine," and "The New Republic." The ads, which Bluewater says are supported by "nearly three dozen" environmental organizations, accuse Bill Ford of breaking a pledge he made in 2000 to increase the fuel mileage of Ford’s popular lineup of sport utility vehicles by 25 percent by 2005.

The ads feature a drawing of Ford with a long nose, and the words, “Bill Ford Jr. or Pinocchio? Don’t Buy His Environmental Rhetoric. Don’t Buy His Cars.”

EDIT

Russell Long, director of Bluewater Network, and the author of California’s landmark law to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions said, “The day Mr. Ford’s broke his pledge to increase fuel mileage was tragic for the environment, but trying to stifle the free speech rights of our citizens isn’t going to solve anything."

EDIT

http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=29863

[david_vincent]

1. While I completely support Bluewater Network for holding Ford

to his word, I also find it hard to believe that people who buy & drive SUVs give a flying fuck about gas mileage or, for that matter, the environmental consequences of their actions. George Will drives an Explorer...

[mastein]

6. I do give a FLYING FUCK

about gas milage and drive an SUV. The same is true of the candidate I voted for President, Dr. Howard Dean. Please do not paint us all with a broad brush, it works against you BIG TIME.

There are people in this world who legitimately do need the room an SUV offers inside the cab. For example, Dr. Dean's children play hockey. He (or his wife depending on schedule) carpool with other families to games and tournaments.

Incdentally, the small SUV class vehicles (like the one I drive) have EPA gas milage numbers in the mid 20s, comparible to a midsize vehicle. I can tell you from experience, that I hit and or exceed the EPA number on a regular basis, so long as I change the air filter every 15,000 miles.

[gamemasterG]

2. Kick

[Viking12]

3. SLAPP

This is just another in the long line of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) commonly brought against environmental activists. Lawsuits are filed (or threatened) frivolously because the corporation/industry knows the defendant has limited resources. While defending against the suit, the activists either 1) divert resources away from public education/aactivism and/or 2) run out of money and close shop. Meanwhile, corporations continue their greenwash.

[Festivito]

4. Still, I have to agree with Ford on this.

Okay, Bill may have broken his promise, but, I say shame on him for making the promise without qualifying it to be based on reasonable future economics. I see the current recession as extraordinary and places all bets off. Ford axed thousands of workers, many white collar designers strapping the engineering abilities of the company, and it did so just in time before its finacial position dragged it down the tubes.

Second, is there an implication that Ford is wrong meaning that GM is right? I don't think so. GM sells unregulated gas guzzlers. People see this ad and go to GM or other dealers. Did GM even address the idea of CAFE lowering?

So, we pick on Ford because BILL WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULD EVEN ADDRESS THE ISSUE we consider important?

That's called chopping off your foot to save your toe.

[Viking12]

5. Honda

It wasn't just a matter of a recession. Ford was/is part of a major lobbying effort by the Automobile Manufacturer's Association that has fought increased CAFE standards at every turn. Ford uses flowery green rhetoric to market their products. They need to step up to the plate. Letting them off the hook so easily is, well, disgusting.

At least one manufacturer declined to support the Association during the last Congressional attempt to raise fuel efficiency standards.

[Festivito]

7. Still doesn't say GM wasn't, and this action is fair.

It's still trying to hurt Ford in its fight with GM because Ford was willing to speak.

Honda realizes it can hurt American car companies since it doesn't sell a lot of trucks in the US. CAFE won't hurt them, it will help them while hurting our industries.

I'm for CAFE. I think trucks should be included. But, hurting Ford for responding to a problem is just plain foolish.

Holding up Honda as an example of good CAFE citizenship is like congratulating the least paying team in baseball for wanting across the board salary caps in all of baseball.

[hatrack]

8. But the point is that Ford was NOT responding to the problem

When push came to shove, William Clay Ford sat down in front of Congress and argued against any improvement in CAFE standards. I don't care if he draped himself in bright green linen while making the statement, or how many gallons of greenwash he poured over his company, he still fought any improvement in efficiency.

While I appreciate his sentiments and think the reworking of the Rouge plant to higher environmental standards is a good idea, he still didn't meet his own mileage target, his company is still cranking out Excursions, and Ford's first hybrid - assuming it ever does arrive - is still seven full years behind the Japanese.

Does anyone seriously believe that if it comes down to a choice between (A) cutting emissions companywide by 100,000 tons annually or (B) providing an extra ten cents per share to stockholders, that anyone in Detroit is going to choose option A? It's just not going to happen, and all the green PR in the world isn't going to change that.

[Festivito]

9. Perhaps I don't express myself well enough.

Bill responding to the problem but not following through is the basis of the ad. Perhaps I was not clear enough before.

GM and Ford are competitors. Both lose money with CAFE. Ford is targeted in ads to hurt Ford but not GM. And, the reason: Ford spoke on the issue.

It's like having several generals who don't want to lose their expense accounts. General Ford tells the king all expense accounts should be cut in half. Then war breaks out and they all need the money. So, does the treasurer shoot general Ford for spending his expense account and not shoot general Gem for spending his? No, they both expended. The only difference is that one general stood up and said he could do with less.

For that, general Ford, should be treated as a hero to the treasurer for stating that it can be done. Information that makes the king's job easier, one less hurdle to reducing expenses, knowing that the expenses being cut in half can be agreeable. Just not in the case of war.

Sorry, if I've been unclear.