Ford’s newest short film centers around the Mustang Mafia, a New Orleans community of Ford Mustang fanatics who have created a community for “a bunch of good dudes with a bunch of bad cars.”
Ford Motor Company in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy New York have created Welcome To The Club, Ford’s flagship foray into human-first storytelling. Episode one of Welcome To The Club is the first short film for the new narrative-led editorial platform for Ford Motor Company. It will specifically call out the stories of the people, the passion and the purpose that drives Ford enthusiasts. Welcome To The Club introduces Bert Groves, a New Orleans community icon and leader of any Ford Mustang enthusiast’s dream club, Mustang Mafia.
The film showcases Groves' inspirations when starting the club, which counts over 300 Mustang owners in its ranks, and his philanthropic desire to feed the homeless. While giving back and engaging with the community is a large aspect of the Mustang Mafia, the invisible string tying all of these members together is their love for the Ford Mustang.
Jared Malik Royal of RSA Films directed the film and brought to life a story focused around humanity and community, while also ensuring New Orleans was a central character of the film. Beautiful textural and meditative shots of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway are placed between burnouts and high speed dyno shots. The film’s soundtrack is from New Orleans native Curren$y and his producer Black Metaphor.
The film culminates with a sweet gifting moment where Groves and Mustang Mafia donate an older Mustang to a local high school’s auto program. They not only provided the blank canvas, but money for the parts and resources it would require to fix the car up. The Mafia also surprised the high school and rolled up, 50 cars deep. Groves was also in for a surprise when the team behind the film presented him with a limited-edition Settlemier’s Jackets made founder’s jacket.
The focus of Ford’s newest editorial franchise is to celebrate and recognize the people behind the wheel. The film will live on Ford’s U.S organic social media channels: YouTube, YTShorts, Meta (IG & FB), X, Threads, and TikTok.
