Amsale Aberra, a 52-year-old couture wedding gown designer — and a native of Ethiopia — is the new spokesperson for the MKX, Lincoln’s first entry in the compact crossover wagon market.
According to The Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.), Ms. Aberra’s New York-based wedding- and evening-dress house, claims annual sales of about $30 million. The Amsale label is in the same league as Vera Wang, another high-end wedding-gown brand.
Lincoln wants to be the universally likable luxury brand — the Oprah Winfrey or Ralph Lauren of the automotive world, brand executives say.
“We have a different set of values,” says Lincoln Marketing Manager Mike Richards about other auto makers. “Our customers are not concerned about shouting about their success. Lincoln is not arrogant or boastful.”
Initially, the commercials featuring Ms. Aberra were slated for the minority media and certain urban markets. But Lincoln later decided to include the Amsale ads in Lincoln’s general market ads, shown on prime-time television.
