Ford Leverages TeSlaa in EV Marketing Campaign

Ford leveraged rookie Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa’s electrified name into an ambassadorship, loaning him a 2025 F-150 Lightning reported as a Platinum trim (mid-$80,000s) and supplying personalized swag and in-stadium messaging such as “TeSlaa drives a Ford” and “Ready Set Ford.” Company spokespeople framed the move as a way to make TeSlaa’s wheels “undeniably Ford” and to steer attention away from the unrelated EV maker with the similar-sounding name. The stunt also capitalizes on the Ford family’s ownership ties to the Lions. Ford says the campaign was part of targeted promotions that helped it post a 14.7% U.S. market share in May (up 1.9 percentage points year over year), be the top-selling brand in the first half of 2025, and lift second-quarter sales at roughly seven times the pace of the overall industry. Company officials and analysts tied those gains in part to a post-tariff buying rush after new 25% auto and parts import taxes, making the TeSlaa activation both a branding move and a sales-driven promotion.