#BehindtheCampaign | Preview of Ford Everest's TVC: Lose Yourself, Find Yourself

The latest TVC from Ford Everest:Lose Yourself, Find Yourself campaign will flight for the first time on 23 June across national TV and YouTube (Image supplied)

“By balancing sophisticated capability with the customer’s need to escape daily micro-stressors, we position the Everest as the ultimate catalyst for personal growth, curated living, and authentic adventure,” says Tarryn Knight, Ford's head of marketing.

The creative insight driving the Ford Everest Model Year (MY) 26 TVC stems from a profound understanding of modern South African high achievers – what Ford calls the ‘Refined Rulers’.

“Today’s elite are constantly bombarded by the mundane micro-stressors of modern life from relentless group chats, endless spreadsheets, chaotic school runs, and the non-stop chime of digital notifications.

"This constant noise creates what we call a ‘capability coma’, where people are so consumed by managing daily routines and digital clutter that they lose touch with their authentic selves. We all identify."

What customers are craving

“The TV commercial is built on the powerful truth that to find what is truly important, we must first have the courage to step away from the mundane,” explains Knight.

“This is not about retreating into a passive comfort zone; rather, it is an active, liberating choice to disconnect from the artificial and reconnect with the real. This sits at the heart of the shift we know our customers are craving,” she says.

The enabler of the journey

Through a series of striking visual constraints, the commercial literalises this transition.

The protagonist swaps the frustration of gridlock for the raw beauty of a flock of birds, trades corporate spreadsheets for a physical map in the wild, and replaces the digital screen with a breathtaking wilderness vista framed naturally by the back of the Everest.

“By systematically 'losing” the clutter of daily life, our hero finds the space to breathe, reflect and ultimately restore.

“The Ford Everest MY26 serves as the ultimate enabler of this journey – a vehicle engineered with the effortless capability to transport you past the noise of the everyday, so you can lose yourself in the majesty of nature and ultimately find yourself,” says Knight.

Ready Set Ford

The campaign marks a strategic evolution from Ford’s previous Live at the Peak positioning - which focused on premium lifestyle and status - to Ford’s fresh primary brand platform, Ready Set Ford.

“While the previous branding established the Everest as a symbol of peak success, the 2026 campaign shifts the narrative to purposeful enablement,” Knight explains.

“Today’s “Refined Rulers” demand more than rugged clichés; they seek meaningful experiences that match vehicle capability with human potential.”

Under Ready Set Ford, the Everest transitions from a luxury status symbol to an active partner in self-discovery.

Lose Yourself. Find Yourselfperfectly captures this shift.

Owning the space in between

In a competitive market where large SUVs typically force a choice between sterile urban luxury or raw, utilitarian toughness, the Ford Everest MY26 stands out by confidently owning the space in between.

It is defined by a perfect contradiction – effortlessly blending grit and grace.

Rather than conforming to rugged clichés, the Everest offers a sophisticated, stand-out presence on-road, backed by uncompromised, class-leading capability off-road.

This duality perfectly mirrors the lives of South Africa’s “Rugged Rulers,” who demand both curated luxury for their daily lives and absolute reliability when escaping them.

“By refusing to compromise on either premium refinement or authentic adventure, the Everest moves beyond traditional category conventions. It is not just an SUV; it is a highly capable, elegant status symbol that occupies a class of its own,” says Knight.

Jayson Dicks and Seth Beukes, the creative brains behind the campaign, explain it was the very idea of “when the familiar falls away, something unexpected takes its place”.

“The space created by disconnection becomes an invitation to discover places, experiences, and perspectives that ordinary life rarely allows.

“It's a message that speaks directly to those who believe the best version of themselves exists somewhere beyond the beaten track; beyond the expected adventure.

“At the heart of the campaign is the Ford Everest itself, a vehicle engineered to take drivers further than comfort alone would allow.

“More than a product story, Lose Yourself is a reminder that the most meaningful discoveries rarely happen close to home. They happen when you're brave enough to leave it behind,” they explain.

Made in SA

This advert was shot in the Western Cape. Being shot locally is a testament to its firm belief in the power of South Africa, says Ford.

“It is only natural that we would shoot an advert for South Africans in South Africa. It talks to our homegrown spirit and the belief.

“But the real magic isn't in the landscape; it’s in the people. It’s in that unbreakable, "maak ’n plan" spirit; the grit to overcome any hurdle and the resilience to laugh while doing it.

“It’s the joy of the hustle, the thrill of the open road, and some would say, stubborn belief that no matter the challenge, we’ll find a way,” says Knight.

For over a century, the Blue Oval hasn't just been a badge on a grille; it has been a partner in this energy. Ford is the South African champion, and Ford says it will never stop championing the spirit, the hustle and the heart of this land.

Rallying call

“Ford knows that for South Africans challenging the capability coma, it isn't about humans lacking capability, but rather about rediscovering it.
“This rallying call from the Ford Everest to find yourself is such a critical reminder that we are on the road with you as you find your way,” says Knight.

#BehindtheCampaign | Ford’s new TVC: A tribute to the South African character

Danette Breitenbach  3 Jun 2026

Credits

Client

Neale Hill, President, Ford Africa Operations
Tarryn Knight, head of marketing
Hanno Botha, marketing communications manager
Londeka Mkhize, marketing communications specialist
Vanessa Terblanche, vehicle logistics
Kaveer Soman Beni, product manager
Jadene Nagiah, product specialist

Agency

Theo Ferreira, VML, ECD
Neil Lindsay VML, creative director
Dono White VML, strategy director
Brett David VML, business unit director
Mike Nash, Ford WPP country lead
Jon Paul Jacques, Regional WPP Ford ECD
Seth Beukes VML, senior art director
Jayson Dicks VML, senior copywriter
Wendy Machanik VML, head of production
Nompumelelo Mabena, VML senior traffic lead
Lee-Anne Joseph, VML traffic manager
Natasha King, VML, account director
Nadia Martin, VML, account director
Bridget van As, VML: project manager
Angela Geyser, WPP Media - client partner
Shadwin Smith, WPP Media - digital strategy
Natasha Grudko, WPP Media - digital strategy
Ilze de Kock, VML: quality assurance
Tyrone Swart, VML: creative quality assurance
Chicco Zimila, WPP Media - ATL strategy

Production partners

Peter Carr, Massif - executive producer
Dean Blumberg, Massif – director
Chanelle Critchfield, Massif – producer
Sarah Schöpflin, Massif – production manager
Kyra Critchfield, Massif – production coordinator
Kabeer Shaik, Pulse TV – D.O.P
Chris van Latum, 1st assistant director
Derek Ueckermann, Pulse - focus puller
Owen Bruce, Direct – DIT
Dumi Ninela, Pulse – grip
Zolani Gojo, Radical – best boy
Izzy De Vasconcelos, Krewkut – wardrobe
Dominique Rossouw, Dom- medic
Vuyolwethu Tshambala, Radical – PA
Schalk Bloem, direct – unit manager
Jarryd Ledingham, UMM – unit assist
Gary Heiman, MAD – precision driver
Garth Ball, MAD – auto detailer
Andile Mojava, MAD - auto detailer
Joshua Branquinho, Big Bird – drone pilot
Adama Lewis, Big Bird – drone operator
Nur Abrahams, Adeeb – crew driver
Shadley Manuel, Adeeb – crew driver
Des Ellis, RHO – stills photographer
Michelle Reynolds, RHO – stills assist
Bertus Prinsloo, product technical specialist
Tessa Ford, Tessa Ford Post - post production
Audio Militia, composition and sound design
Matthew Du Boi, ICE Genetics – talent
Audio Militia Engineer - audio – Garrick Jones