IMAGES: Available at www.media.ford.com and www.flickr.com/photos/fiestamovement.

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

Tim Chantarangsu is all about entertaining. As a rapper, a comedian – even as a Fiesta agent – his work lets people tune into the lighter side of life. Performing as Traphik or Timothy Delaghetto, he writes songs that often poke fun at society and cultural stereotypes. Being a Ford Fiesta agent, then, is just one more way for Chantarangsu to hold the spotlight up to his talent – and let the car shine in the process.

As part of an innovative social media initiative, 100 young trendsetters are test driving and living with a Euro-spec Fiesta for six months, traveling as agents on special missions. They then relate their experiences through a variety of social media sites.

AGENT STATISTICS:

Name: Tim Chantarangsu
Age: 23
Location: Paramount, Calif.
Occupation: Musician/comedian
Current Car Owned: Toyota Corolla
Flickr Views: 1,154
Twitter Followers: 7,299
Facebook Friends: 2,716
YouTube Views: 26,347,539

DETAILS:

Tim Chantarangsu is a natural in the spotlight. Ever since he was a little boy, Tim knew his calling was to entertain. Years later, after he and his friends discovered a then-fledgling YouTube, they started posting videos, songs – anything they thought would be entertaining. And people watched.

Soon, Tim realized that entertaining wasn’t just a fun hobby – it was what he wanted to do with his life. That is one thing Tim is very serious about – his career. On his MySpace page, he outlines his business plan, which he calls the FPF, or Fresh Prince Format, based on actor Will Smith’s route to success. First comes the record deal, then the TV show, then the movies.

When the opportunity arose to become a Fiesta Movement agent, Tim knew it was a natural fit – he had enough followers on his social media sites to promote the vehicle, and he knew with his imagination and experience that he would do well. He likes to show off the car without being obvious about it. Instead, he’ll rap in the Fiesta, showcasing the car and the sound system.

On his first mission, Tim blindfolded his girlfriend and had her try to guess where they were going in the Fiesta – all the while throwing her off the mark with fake clues. He eventually surprised her by taking her to a Japanese water garden.

Tim admits driving the Fiesta took some getting used to. He didn’t know how to drive a manual transmission, and he was forced to learn after picking up the car and driving 80 miles on the highway. Now, regardless of what he’s doing, Tim usually is taking his Fiesta along. Quite simply, he drives it everywhere. And he has big plans with it, including a trip to Las Vegas.

QUOTES:

“It’s fun, as a whole, being part of this. I’d never heard of anything like this before.”

“I drive this car everywhere. I’m in so many places, some of my fans asked my parents if there was two of me.”

– Tim,
Fiesta Movement agent

Follow Tim:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/traphik
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/TimothyDeLaGhetto2
Blog: http://timothydelaghetto.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/timothydelaghetto?ref=profile
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timothydelaghetto
Missions completed: http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/view/10
http://www.fiestamovement.com/missions/view/130
Application video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MVWIdOdmWI

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

Sept. 30, 2009