Lincoln is partnering with tennis ledged Serena Williams in its newest ad campaign that kicked off February 15. Williams will act as a brand ambassador on social media as she drives her 2018 Navigator to tournaments and while chauffeuring her family around town.

But this isn’t her first time in a Navigator. In fact, her first car was a first-generation Lincoln Navigator she purchased during her successful early years and named it “Ginger.” The SUV lasted her eight years’ worth of tennis practices and matches before she gifted it to her niece. “I’ve always had a connection to the Navigator,” she said. “When the opportunity came to work with the Lincoln Navigator today, I was really excited because it brought me back to all of those moments I had in my first vehicle. For me, partnering with a brand like Navigator comes from a genuine place.”

Continue reading for more on Serena Williams and the 2018 Navigator.

John Emmert, the group marketing manager for Lincoln, said “Serena is an amazing athlete who has won 23 Grand Slams, but she also has a family, she has her own clothing line, she sits on major boards, she’s philanthropic – she has all these competing demands on her time. We know that time is our Navigator client’s ultimate luxury as they balance everything in their busy lives, and Serena exemplifies that balance with poise and grace.”

Williams’ daily life consists of more than just tennis these days. “Now that I have become a mom I am in my car a lot more, so my Navigator is like my new home. I take business calls from it, I prepare for my day, and it’s kind of like Olympia’s room – she takes naps, she wakes up, and she’s comfortable in it.

The brand ambassador content will be seen on both Lincoln’s social media, along with Williams’.

News of this social media branding campaign comes just days after Ford announced production of the Navigator was struggling to keep up with demand. Navigator sales are up a whopping 97.5 percent over this time last year, despite Ford’s overall sales dipping slightly by 6.6 percent.

"We could have sold a lot more in January if we had had them," said Mark LaNeve, vice president of U.S. marketing, sales, and service. What’s more, Lincoln says nearly 84 percent of Navigator buyers are opting for the upper trim levels, the Reserve and Black Label, which retail for around $90,000 and $100,000, respectively. Yet even the lower trims are expensive. The Premiere starts at $72,000 and the Select at $76,000

There’s no doubt the Navigator’s success hinges on its new design. The Navigator moves into its fourth generation for 2018 and includes many of the same high-tech hardware found in the new Ford F-150. The body panels are aluminum, the frame is built from high-strength steel, and the engine is Ford’s high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 – the same one used in the F-150 Raptor. The engine kicks out 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. The F-150’s 10-speed automatic is also standards, while 4WD is an option. And as before, the Navigator is available in both a standard wheelbase and an extended wheelbase.

Ford is taking steps to increase production while not letting up on the ad campaigns and ambassador marketing. After all, Lincoln has done extremely well to land both Serena Williams and actor, Matthew McConaughey.

References

Lincoln Navigator

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