DEARBORN, Mich., June 30, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is back for the second year as the exclusive automotive partner of the 2010 Essence Music Festival being held this July Fourth weekend in New Orleans. Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige are set to headline the festival, which is touted as the largest African American music and culture event in the U.S., attracting an estimated 250,000 participants.

 

As a proud partner of the festival, Ford has created unique programs for the city of New Orleans and festival attendees, including the chance to win the keys to an all-new 2011 Ford Edge, a scholarship contest exclusive to New Orleans students displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and the chance to take a drive behind the wheel of some of the newest products from both Ford and Lincoln like the 2011 Ford Edge, which features MyFord Touch technology.

 

As Ford’s Multicultural Marketing Manager Shawn Lollie explains, the Essence Music Festival is a strong partnership that offers a tremendous opportunity when it comes to awareness of Ford and Lincoln products within the African American market, particularly African American women.

 

A snapshot of Ford Motor Company’s activities during 2010 Essence Music Festival
At the 2010 Essence Music Festival, Ford will invite the New Orleans community and festival attendees to participate in a variety of activities all designed to inform and entertain. This year’s activities include the “Steve Harvey Morning ShowBroadcast,” vehicle test drives and celebrity autograph signings within the Ford display. 

 

To support healthy living, Ford will sponsor the Essence Music Festival Healthy Living Fair. Under this initiative, Ford will partner with the Susan G. Komen Foundation on Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives directed toward the New Orleans community. Actress LisaRaye and Carla Ferrell of the “Steve Harvey Morning Show”will also join Ford and Susan G. Komen executives during the fair.

 

“We’ve found that the Essence festival is an excellent opportunity to interact with thousands of individuals from across the country who are opinion leaders and trend-setters. Our interactive and experiential displays will enable these opinion leaders to get close to our products and brand to experience the amazing technology,” said Lollie.

 

Ford also will be partnering with author and actor Hill Harper to present two New Orleans students with scholarship awards as part of the Youth Outreach program. The scholarships are being awarded as part of a poetry slam being hosted by the Ford Motor Company Fund and The Manifest Your Destiny House Program founded by Harper. Each scholarship will be in the amount of $5,000.

 

“This scholarship presentation will allow us to tap into some of the rich creativity in the New Orleans community while also providing scholarships to deserving students,” said Lollie. “We not only get to play a role in educational attainment, but we also get to provide a platform for deserving high school students to share their stories.”

 

 

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