Dive Brief:

• Ford announced a brand partnership with Marvel's upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," hitting theaters May 5, in a joint press release.
• The automaker's EcoSport model will make a cameo in the film and will appear in a "Be the Guardian of Your Galaxy" TV spot with the popular character Groot. An exclusive digital comic highlighting the vehicle's features is also part of the rollout and will have a limited print run of just 500 copies.
• The campaign also includes a "Be the Guardian of Your Galaxy" sweepstakes for a chance to win a Ford EcoSport, a hometown screening of the movie and one of 150 custom illustrations by a Marvel artist "depicting the fan as a galactic hero," per the release.

Dive Insight:

Hollywood product tie-ins are a tale as old as time, but Ford is putting its own spin on the tactic, capitalizing on the Marvel film's comic book roots for a fun, creative piece of content marketing.

The limited print run of the EcoSport issue might even make it a bit of a collector's item with "Guardians" superfans, along with serving as an artistic way to showcase the model and get the brand name out there. Of course, the comic has a digital component, though the release stated that's "exclusive" as well.  

Ford is hammering home the EcoSport's connected features with its latest campaign, so a team-up with the space-bound, futuristic Guardians also makes sense. These features include SYNC 3, a floating 8-inch touch screen and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. 

Ford, on the whole, has been getting more creative with its marketing of late. In February, it teamed up with French filmmaker Claude Lelouch to remake his iconic "C’etait un Rendez-Vous" short film with a Mustang and the help of 360-degree video technology.