ICON50 – A Celebration of Pop Culture, Adventure, and Mustang

The Mustang has been going on strong for the last 50 years, which is an amazing achievement for a car model to have survived this long considering what has happened over those 50 years: several wars, a recession, bailouts, and more. It’s no wonder the average American has lost his/her sense of adventure. With the release of the new Ford Mustang, Ford, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, Zagat, ESPN the Magazine, and Mashable will come together to try and get Americans out of their homes and go on adventures to try something new with ICON50.

It’s rather staggering: a survey commissioned by Ford as part of the ICON50 found that 42 percent of Americans can’t remember the last time they tried something new. Ford feels that is because they have lost their sense of adventure and that won’t do. “For five decades, Mustang has represented some of the best of American popular culture, inspiring a feeling of freedom, independence and adventure,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “We are excited to celebrate the iconic Mustang and encourage fans to embrace its spirit of adventure and try new cultural experiences.”

“From pop songs to hashtag campaigns, America is having a love affair with ‘happy’ right now,” said Brian Balthazar, TV personality and pop culture expert. “Capturing that emotion can be elusive, and that’s why these findings are so compelling. Embarking upon everyday adventures can enrich our lives and make us feel amazing.” Those findings show that 43 percent of Americans surveyed have a voice in their head that says “no” before trying something new and that money is the biggest thing keeping them from trying, with fear of failure and embarrassment following behind.

So, what is Ford going to do about that? Take a road trip. Ford, Hard Rock, Zagat, ESPN the Magazine, and Mashable are creating a list of 50 innovators and are designing a themed driving route in celebration of the Mustang’s 50th anniversary. There will be a cultural roadmap for encouragement, and going into 2015, there will be cross-country drives and consumer events.

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