Ford Ireland set out to deliver a meaningful, nationwide community initiative that would generate real-world impact while reinforcing the brand’s long-standing partnership with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
At a time when charities are facing growing demand and increasing pressure on resources, Ford wanted to create a fundraising campaign that was simple, inclusive and rooted in local communities, empowering people to make a difference through everyday actions.
Drive 4 Ur Community was developed as a nationwide test drive initiative, transforming Ford dealerships and community locations across Ireland into fundraising touchpoints, while providing a strong platform to highlight the life-changing work of Irish Guide Dogs.
Harris PR was tasked with shaping a campaign that would drive participation, deliver standout earned media coverage and clearly demonstrate the tangible impact of Ford’s community-first approach.
Drive 4 Ur Community invited the public to take a free test drive at participating Ford locations across five weekends in September and October. For every test drive completed, Ford Ireland donated €30 directly to Irish Guide Dogs.
The initiative ran across six locations nationwide: Cork, Galway, Dublin, Kildare and Limerick, ensuring strong regional relevance and local pride, while contributing to a collective national fundraising goal.
To maximise reach and engagement, Ford Ireland partnered with brand ambassador Roz Purcell for the campaign launch, leveraging her social influence and natural affinity with the cause to broaden appeal beyond traditional automotive audiences. Social content and photocall imagery shot with Roz and ambassador guide dogs brought the campaign to life visually, while interview opportunities with Roz delivered quality media coverage in key consumer outlets.
Earned media was central to the strategy, with clear messaging around participation, community impact and the simplicity of getting involved. The campaign culminated in a high-impact donation announcement, framed around a powerful insight: Ford’s final donation sum represented 60 times the number of guide dogs currently in service in Ireland, anchoring the story in both scale and meaning.
Drive 4 Ur Community generated strong nationwide participation, with 877 test drives completed across the campaign period, resulting in a total donation of €26,310 to Irish Guide Dogs.
The campaign launch generated extensive earned media coverage in top tier publications, across national and regional print, online and broadcast outlets. While the donation announcement, supported by a Cork-based cheque handover photocall, regional press rollout and audio release, provided a compelling final moment that reinforced both the fundraising success and Ford Ireland’s commitment to community impact.
Drive 4 Ur Community demonstrated how a simple mechanic, grounded in local activation and amplified through strategic earned media, can deliver measurable results.
