I’ve seen the “Introducing the Lincoln Motor Company” ad — particularly in various playoff football games I’ve watched, which is apparently a bit of a re-branding push to further differentiate the upper market project line from the lower market project line … pickup truck drivers looking askance at the snobs and mansion dwellers looking down at the dirty rednecks or something  — from wikipedia I get this:

On December 3, 2012 Ford changed the name of the Lincoln division to the Lincoln Motor Company. To help differentiate Lincoln-branded products from Ford-branded products, Ford established unique design, product development and sales teams for Lincoln. Ford appointed Jim Farley to lead the Lincoln Motor Co.

What’s interesting is the initial image.  Which, I guess works… it grabbed my attention.  (Nothing else in the commercial is interesting in any way.)

It has the feel to it of the same vein as your “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” — the new sort of dripping irony item.  His long coat is all aflutter in the wind as smoke drifts by him… and he’s staring right at you… ready to kick ass and take names.

As a Luxury Car icon, we are a ways off from his political-ized image… “Log Cabin” and “Rail Splitter” — the latter a job he more or less hated which was dumped on him to pump up his “humble origins” bonafides by his state party promoters.

I can’t remember from reading this Lincoln Inc book on Lincoln kitsch how many brandings came before the Lincoln Towncar — the first ones — Lincoln Financial —  at least came with his son on board.  After that you just grab Lincoln for your own use and have his coat blowing in the wind.

… Abraham Lincoln isn’t rolling in his grave, but he is grabbing his anti-depressant medication.

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