New Ford Ad Doesn't Mention Musk, but It Doesn't Have To

Ford is out with a new TV spot that Advertising Age says "appears to be a subtle shot" at Elon Musk in the auto wars. That might be understating things. While the ad does not mention Musk by name, the implication is clear and full of snark. “Right now it could seem like the only people who matter are the loudest,” says the narrator over a shot of someone scrolling on their smartphone. And if that wasn't clear enough: “Those who want to tear things down and then fly away on their personal spaceships when things get hard,” the narrator continues. “But we’ve got 182,000 people and they’re building.”

Ford is making an aggressive entry into the rapidly expanding market for electric vehicles, a market in which Musk's Tesla is dominant. The ad, which will make its broadcast debut during this weekend's Kentucky Derby coverage, is a "fascinating attempt at reaching middle class Americans who may be fed up with the whiny and entitled attitude Musk has so often shown on Twitter, a platform he’s trying to purchase for $44 billion," writes Matt Novak at Gizmodo. Related to that possible purchase: CNBC reports that if the deal does indeed go through, Musk is expected to serve as Twitter CEO for at least a few months. (More Elon Musk stories.)