The Ford F-150 has been the undisputed king in the full-size pickup segment, and the Blue Oval isn’t getting tired of reminding everyone where the line behind the F-150 starts. Ford’s latest chest-puffing piece comes in the form of a 30-second commercial that reinforces the F-150’s leadership in the full-size pickup segment. Without specifically mentioning its rivals, Ford is throwing a bucket of reality to the rest of the market, letting everyone know that no matter what they do, they’re not going to beat the segment’s resident big dog.

You can always count on Ford to puff its chest anytime it has the chance to do so. The new 30-second commercial, called “Big Dog,” isn’t just about Ford promoting the new F-150. The tone and theme of the ad shows Ford essentially calling out the rest of the full-size pickup segment, without mentioning any names, for not having enough to usurp the F-150 from its 41-year stranglehold as America’s best-selling pickup.

It’s a bold peg for a commercial, but it’s also one that has its merits. This year through August, Ford has sold 603,926 units of the F-150. That’s almost double the sales volume of the Silverado, which has accounted for 379,441 units sold for Chevy. The Ram 1500 isn’t far behind the Silverado with 360,214 units sold in the first eight months of the year. Make no mistake, though; there’s a canyon-sized gulf between the F-150 and its two rivals.

The commercial does a good job of pointing out that gulf. It’s not just that the F-150 is outselling the Silverado and the Ram 1500, it’s that there are reasons why it’s selling its rivals beyond its status and name recognition.

"When you're the No. 1, best-selling truck in America, there's no need to directly call out the competition by name," Paul Trillo, the commercial’s director, told Automotive News. "Instead, it was about visualizing the F-150's prowess in a way that no other truck commercial would do. There's a cheekiness to the visuals, from the dog bobblehead to the exploding truck sand sculpture, that reminds us F-150 remains in the lead, and it's not afraid of having a little fun while it's ahead."

Surely, the Ford F-150 is enjoying its place in the segment. It’s still the king of the full-size pickup segment, and until its rivals can make a serious challenge to that throne, the F-150 can keep having as much fun as it wants. Nobody’s coming in to break the party, anyways.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford F-150.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor.

Read our full review of the 2019 Chevy Silverado

Read our full review on the 2019 Ram 1500.