Ford chose Barr and Parsons from among 4,100 applicants nationwide to drive one of 100 Fiestas expense-free for six months and blog about their experiences. The competition was part of Ford’s effort to spread the word about the new fuel-efficient Fiesta, expected to hit American roads next summer.
Barr and Parsons posted a video to YouTube for their application. The alums, who met as students at Elon, were featured in a May 17 story in the Durham Herald-Sun.
According to the Herald-Sun, “Ford flew Barr and Parsons to Atlanta on April 21 to pick up the car and take part in a two-day training session. On the road trip back, the two filmed a pit stop to pick up Old Spice deodorant at a CVS Pharmacy. Since then, each has the car for every other week.
“Since the Ford Fiesta has been one of the top-selling cars, I think it’s appropriate to bring it to the U.S.,” Barr told the Herald-Sun. “They wanted to find folks online who want to drive the car and be honest about the car.”
He said that they don’t have to say Ford Fiesta in every video or explain that they’re filming for Ford.
“It also puts a good reflection of us online,” he said. “We get to build up our following in the process.”
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