According to The Detroit News, the Ford Expedition’s starring role in the finale of “The Sopranos” was not an official product placement:
The scene in question begins with a lingering close-up of the Blue Oval badge on the grille of an Expedition that carries Phil Leotardo, a New York mob boss locked in a deadly feud with series star Tony Soprano. Leotardo gets out of the passenger side and is promptly shot in the head by one of the latter’s henchmen. The mafia don falls, his head landing right before the front wheel of the SUV as his wife leaps from the driver’s seat, fleeing from the shooter.
The camera then shifts again to the Ford logo, this time emblazoned on the wheel of the Expedition. The wheel begins to turn, rolling slowly over Leotardo’s head, which is crushed with a sickening crunch.
Despite the heavy use of Ford imagery, the automaker said it was as surprised by the scene as anybody else.
“The Expedition that appeared in the series finale of ‘The Sopranos’ last night was not a product placement deal,” said Ford spokeswoman Whitney Drake, quoting a prepared statement.
She would not say whether the automaker was pleased or displeased with the depiction of its powerful SUV.
I’d say Ford could use any publicity it can get. I mean, crushing a mafia boss with a Kia Spectra just doesn’t have the same effect.
I’m sure someone’s out there putting together a Sopranos/Ford YouTube mashup commercial right now. If they haven’t done so already.
