Does it matter when they’re sold out for two+ years? If you can’t make more why bother trying to get more buyers right now?

More demand now leads to more confident investment which leads to more actual growth in the end. Brand awareness advertising isn't only about orders today. It's about implanting the idea "Maybe I'll buy in EV in a couple of years when my truck wears out" in a consumer's head.

It's only when demand is completely out of hand, or when you don't want to Osborne yourself, that you want to stop advertising.

At some point the f150 may be only electric? So maybe advertising isn't so important if people just want the model regardless of the engine.

They probably would appreciate a boost in sales if advertising can attract new customers (non truck & non Ford people). Ford might be trying to copy Tesla's strategy with marketing. However, the two companies target different populations and I feel Ford would benefit from advertising.

This article shows us how many new customers Ford is attracting: https://www.motor1.com/news/552814/ford-lighting-customer-ne...

That's a great point, but I haven't heard when that is going to happen. Until then, IMHO ads shouldn't be discounted by Ford (this of course assumes that Ford actually wants to convert people from ICE to EV).

The Lightning seems to be designed to convert F-150 buyers. It looks just like a regular F-150 and comes with features rural customers would love, like powering your house during blackouts and your tools away from an outlet.

It's not designed to convert existing F150 buyers.

It's designed to get the guy who has a Tesla and a Tacoma in his driveway and who sees fullsize domestic trucks as a penis extension for backwards hicks to trade both those in.

This isn't about converting existing owners. It's about growing the potential market.

This is definitely false ! I can't speak to the motivation of buyers but Ford commissioned a lot of consulting in advance of developing the Lightning and they are obsessed with trying to convert existing customers to become EV buyers.

I wouldn’t be surprised if over 50% were aware, but whether they’re strongly favorable enough to buy one at the moment is up in the air.

There are a lot of F150s though, and the Lightning’s design is distinct enough that it advertises itself even with a tiny fraction of owners actually converting.

Also, the ridiculous things people are going to try towing with that much torque will win some over as well.

Every single fleet sale in the country[0]. Tack on the transit electric and you’ve got enough work for the entire factory for years.

[0]obviously hyperbolic but fleet electric makes so much sense because many are already centrally parked and the rest can be trivially recharged at home much easier than dealing with gas.

The 2022 F-150 Lightning preorders filled up very quickly and far exceeded Ford's initial production plans. They will be supply limited for several years. Why spend a bunch of money on advertising when you already have more customers than product?