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.
Denny brings a rich and varied background across PR, HR, and theatre production, with PR agency experience and an in-house role with The Gate Theatre, as well as several roles in the HR sector. After taking time to travel and pursue further studies, he returned to the world of PR in 2025, joining the Harris PR team where he supports clients in the food, motoring, retail, festivals & events, and NFP sectors.
Denny’s creative waters run deep, and his communication skills, signature energy and collaborative approach make him an invaluable addition to the team.
Vika joined Harris PR following her selection as the recipient of the 2025/26 Harris PR Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Bursary, developed in partnership with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) and the Open Doors Initiative. Originally from Ukraine and displaced by war, Vika came to Ireland in 2022 and brings over eight years of experience in communications including a wealth of strategic insight, creativity, and international perspective.
As part of the Bursary, Viktoriia is completing the PRII Diploma in Public Relations, combining academic study with hands-on agency experience at Harris PR, where she supports clients in the retail, health & wellness, festivals and NFP sectors.
Eve is a skilled communications specialist who joined Harris PR in 2026 bringing extensive experience in strategic PR across the business, technology, and consumer sectors.
Eve previously spent over four years at tech-focused communications agency Beachhut PR, where she delivered strategic positioning, executive profiling, and global media relations for high-growth companies and multinational brands, often translating jargon heavy language into clear messaging. Her experience spans fintech, automotive, e-commerce, Web3, med-tech, supply chain, and enviro-tech industries.
She plays a key role in shaping and delivering integrated communications strategies, working closely with clients to build strong narratives, deliver insight-led storytelling, and drive meaningful media engagement.
Emma started her career in Internal Communications before undertaking a Masters in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. She moved on to become a Public Relations Manager in a fast-paced retail environment for over two years before joining Harris PR in 2025.
Experienced in delivering and executing PR campaigns across corporate, consumer and sustainability communications, whilst nurturing brand reputation, Emma manages clients in the health & wellness, retail, festivals and NFP sectors. A true media relations pro, her passion lies in storytelling and identifying news angles that will generate positive coverage while landing key messages.
With over 20 years’ experience, both agency and in-house, Niamh is a versatile and passionate PR expert who joined the Harris PR team in 2020.
During the course of her career she has worked with a broad range of corporate entities and consumer brands from industries spanning retail, telecoms, and FMCG, and has been the recipient of a number of PRCA awards in recognition of her work. She later served on the judging panel for the annual industry awards for several years.
Niamh specialises in strategy, planning, media relations and influencer management at Harris PR, and is the account lead for a number of brands in the retail, food & beverage, health & wellness and travel & tourism sectors.
Sonia established Harris PR in 2009, following a decade in agency PR and three years as a journalist with the Sunday Independent. Her vision is to provide a truly people centric service, delivering standout creative work that moves the dial, while acting as an extension of client teams
While taking an active role in client work, alongside running the business, Sonia is responsible for strategic counsel, creative oversight and KPI delivery. She has advised multinationals, start-ups, NFPs, and more over the course of her career and is deeply committed to advancing the PR industry by investing in talent and building an agency culture rooted in fairness and inclusivity.
Sonia is committed to advancing DEI in the PR Industry, and recently commissioned research and prepared the first benchmark report and toolkit for employers on the state of DEI in PR Ireland. An active member of the PRII, and co-founder of the DEI PR Bursary now in its third year, Sonia has recently joined the board of the PRCA, and is committed to driving more inclusive hiring and workplace practices throughout the industry.
