The day Rick posted his 2003 Ford F 350 on Kijiji (a weird Canadian Craigslist), there were 66 other listings for the exact same truck. Rick’s rig sold in 23 minutes…to a Texan.

Here’s the ad I wrote for Rick:

There are two types of people in this world: People who like Fords and people who are wrong.

The Ford F series has been Canada’s best-selling truck for over fifty-two years. Consistent and dependable. It is everything that a Dodge is not.

This Ford can do almost everything a Chevy can, except randomly catch fire. (Heard them Chevy’s run a little hot sometimes.)

This is a work truck. If you’re looking for a pretend-to-work truck, then go to a Nissan store. In some towns they call it the wrecking yard.

Unlike other wagons, this 2003 Ford F 350 isn’t afraid of getting a little work on it. It’s got a small dent in the front bumper, but that just gives it character. Could use a new windshield also (that’s Edmonton for ya.) Other than that, she’s clean, well-maintained, and built Ford-tough.

A word of warning: the interior is very roomy. The vertically-challenged may need a car seat and pedal blocks to operate. Don’t forget your sippy cup. (Ain’t that right, Rick?)

The leather-interior crew cab comes with all the Lariat bells and whistles. The heated front seats keep you cozy while you sip coffee and laugh at your buddy trying to dig his lifted Tacoma out of the snow. (Sometimes it takes them ‘Yota boys a minute to ask for help. They can be a little stubborn; that’s just the nature of the breed.)

Call this rig Optimus Prime, because it can transform from hauling trailers to hauling tools by switching out the tailgate. (Sorry, no heated tailgate package available. You’re thinking of a GMC. Gotta keep your hands warm if you’re gonna push your truck home.)

Speaking of hauling trailers, this F-bomb comes with a 5th wheel hitch as well. Because that was this 4×4’s previous job – moving trailers from here to there. The V8 engine has all new fuel injectors, giving it maximum pulling power. So when your buddy with a city-boy Honda Ridgeline needs to move his RV, you’ll be on speed dial.

With brand new, some would say “aggressive” tires, this pick-em-up truck can pull your buddy’s Silverado out of that ditch, again. (You hear how they’re makin’ Chevys more aerodynamic to save on gas when Fords tow ‘em?)

They say that over 95% of Toyotas are still on the road. The rest manage to make it home. But with only 200k kilometers, this 3/4 ton is barely broke in.

So what’s next? How do you take this truck for a test drive? Just follow these easy steps:

  1. If you need to sell your Chevy first, here’s a tip: try doubling its value by filling the tank.

  1. If you want to get down here but you own a Dodge, check the last two pages of the owner’s manual; that’s where they put the bus schedule.

  1. If you’re driving a GMC but need to get here fast, try shutting off the engine to cut your time in half. Did you know a Sierra can go from 0 to 60 in less than 15 seconds if you push it off a cliff?

  1. If you’re trying to unload a Toyota, increase your chances of a sale by customizing it with working brakes. (How’s that frame weld holdin’ up there bud?)

  1. If you’re bringing a Nissan, will you be sitting up front with the tow truck driver? (So we know who to give the directions to.)

  1. And if you’re thinking of buying a Honda Ridgeline, then we’ve got some blinker fluid to sell you.

We hope to see you soon.

Rick had multiple offers for his truck, but sold it to the early bird…a guy in Texas, over 3,218 kilometers away (in freedom units that’d be about 2,000 miles.)

Have you heard about “The Great Used Ford Shortage of 2020” in Texas? Me neither.

In Houston alone, there are over a thousand used Ford trucks on Craigslist.

So why the hell would a guy in Texas buy a used Ford in Canada, eh? Especially when he can’t even walk down his own street without tripping over one?

A used truck isn’t exciting…but tribalism is.

“Successful advertising talks to the customer in the language of the customer about what matters to the customer.”

– Roy H. Williams

I’ll admit, I don’t know a whole lot about trucks. But I do know that people love to laugh. Particularly at inside jokes. Jokes that only you and your tribe “get.” Strangers don’t have inside jokes with each other, but friends do, because they’re connected by a common bond.

“For people who are laughing together, shared laughter signals that they see the world in the same way, and it momentarily boosts their sense of connection.”

Shared laughter is a shortcut to bonding with your audience. It works so well that, honestly, it almost feels like cheating.

In this case, I wanted to see what the used truck tribe was joking about. A simple google search for “Chevy memes” revealed just that.

Turns out Chevy buffs love making fun of Ford fans. Dodge lovers enjoy ripping on Toyota truthers. The GMC and Nissan factions are at war. But they all agree that the Honda Ridgeline is the worst. These clubs love roasting each other. So I put on my party hat and jumped in.

My Partner, Roy H. Williams says,

“Winning the attention is difficult because Broca’s area of the brain anticipates the predictable and blocks it from ever reaching Working Memory. Most advertising today is painfully predictable and consequently, invisible. To win the customer’s attention we must surprise Broca’s area with sensory stimuli other than that which was expected.”

Wouldn’t you agree that almost every used truck ad is exactly the same as the next? I say, when everyone is wearing beige khakis, kick down the door in your oversized pink fur coat and platform shoes.

When you make your ads impossible to ignore, people from all over the place start paying attention.

In a sea of monochrome, it’s your duty to add that pop of contrasting color to *really* stand out.

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