Ford sues Nissan.

[Buntz]

http://blogs.forbes.com/joannmuller/...nis-and-bling/

Ford Motor is suing Nissan Motor in Brazil for airing an eye-popping TV commercial that accuses Ford of price-gouging (see video, below).

It’s noteworthy any time a carmaker directly challenges a competitor in its ads. But this particular commercial draws attention for entirely different reasons. In it, sexy bikini-clad women dance around, sipping champagne, while two rappers dressed as Ford engineers show off their gold rings and chains while boasting about all the money they make by overpricing the Ford Focus hatchback. In the background is a silver Focus.

The lyrics, translated from Portuguese, go something like this: “All the luxury that I got, I got it with your money. Don’t weep because you’re paying extra money — your money was well spent, look what I do with it.”

The commercial, a remarkably long one minute and 38 seconds that ends with a pitch for Nissan’s cheaper Tiida model, was withdrawn from national TV on March 3 after Ford obtained an injunction, according to Reuters. The lawsuit accuses Nissan’s Brazilian management of “improper brand uses” and “unfair competition.” Nobody from either company is commenting.

Ford does need to be careful, though. Even in North America, it has been trying to push up prices of its small cars like the Focus and Fiesta by loading them with premium features in a bid to offset lost profits from slower-selling SUVs. If its prices rise too much, it won’t take a hilarious sexy commercial for consumers to notice.

Video clip.

Personally I found it funny. Just imagining Ford Engineers all pimped out.. not exec's. But it's still claiming Ford is price gouging. So I hope Nissan get's put in it's place over this.