Grit, perseverance and built for tough— a winning combination that brings athletes and the Ford F-150 truck together in four of the most visually stunning, action-packed Ford USA TV commercials directed by award-winning filmmaker Peter Rodger.

With his fourth campaign for Ford, Peter has cast the real deals —those who don’t need to act, those who do whatever it takes. College football is hard stuff and not just for a football player, but for a cheerleader and a band member. The four 30-second TV commercials for the Ford-sponsored college Football teams–UGA, Alabama, Tennessee, and Auburn– show the dedication, determination and strong will it takes to make it to game day, hence “The Extra Mile.”

The goal was to capture the intense training these kids have to put in, not only with their coaches, but on their own, in their own time because if they don’t go the extra mile, they won’t make it. Triumph, blood and pain—it’s all in their faces. Nothing gets in their way. Their passion jumps off the screen, and we are blown away. “We were very fortunate to have the ability to shoot two out of three days at The University of Georgia [Athens Campus] and shoot with head coach, Kirby Smart, one of the nicest guys you could ever want to work with,” says Peter.

Four different versions for each college with a limited principal cast had to match up seamlessly for each spot. It was like doing a jigsaw puzzle, and all of this being shot as buckets of rain came pouring down. It was grueling work but the cast never complained. A great team and agency pros made everything fall into place. Everyone had a lot of fun, even as they ran to safety during an intense electrical storm. Peter’s Ford TV spots are a pure energy high. We can’t get enough of them and are so hooked. See Ford – The Extra Mile...