Ford Shuts Down Dealer’s “American Flag, Bible, Shotgun With Every Purchase” Promotion

In a since-deleted post, an Alabama Ford dealership had put on a promotion that most found rather unique. It was so unique, in fact, that it went viral on Facebook over the past couple days. As the promotion grew, however, Ford decided to step in and stop it. Apparently, the inclusions in this deal didn’t align with how the company would like to position themselves as a brand.

In an official statement, Chatom Ford said “We were running a promotion celebrating this country’s independence. Ford Motor Company has asked us to stop running the advertisement. They manufacture the products we are franchised to sell, so we are complying with their request. We appreciate everyone’s support. All the phone calls and messages were so greatly appreciated. We will fulfill all commitments we made to our customers.”

The dealer did manage to land a spot on USA Today, claiming that they weren’t just “handing out shotguns in Alabama.”

Instead, the purchases would come with the American flag and the Bible. The gun would be acquired with a certificate that would require the buyer to go through the proper channels to own a gun legally.

It seems as if the dealership likes to run a new promotion every month or so. With patriotism winding up with the 4th of July right around the corner, they decided that this might be a good fit. It turns out that Ford wasn’t about to stand behind it, though.

So far, in response to their public statement listed above, the dealer has been receiving lots of support on their Facebook page. It’s not clear if they’ll continue to honor the promotion without advertising it or if they’re shutting it down completely.

After reading this one, it leads us to ask the question: “Did Ford make the right call here?”

Update – 4:32 6/26/2019… Its Back ON!