An all-electric, Mustang-inspired crossover SUV from Ford may be one of the strangest combinations of words a person will hear. But Ford, in its bid to combat climate change and secure a future for itself, is adding something else to that new electric crossover. That something else is the movie star, Idris Elba.

Idris Elba’s origins at Ford

Like Automotive News mentioned, this decision to add Elba to Ford’s partnerships with celebrities was one that’s rooted in Elba’s history with the company. Like Elba said, he used to work at a Ford plant, the same Ford plant that his father worked at. In fact, his work there was what ultimately inspired him to become an actor, Automotive News said. 

Elba saw his job at the Ford plant like any other blue-collar job. It was hard work and it paid well, but Elba knew that if he kept working there, then he’d work there for his whole life as his father did. Elba didn’t want that for himself and he decided to pursue acting full-time. 

However, it wasn’t all that bad. Elba, in a speech in 2016, said that there was more diversity at that Ford plant than there was in the British film and television industry.

And though that was true, Elba would still be able to find work in showbiz. In fact, he’d soon make a name for himself in both Britain and around the world.

Idris Elba today

It was a long grind, but Elba eventually found success on the small screen starting with a major role in the HBO show The Wire. Not long after that big role, Elba was cast as the lead role of the British TV show Luther. He received critical acclaim for both roles and that allowed him to get roles on the big screen as well. 

Most notably, Elba was cast as a major supporting character in Marvel’s Avenger franchise. More recently, Elba was cast as the main villain in a Fast & Furious film called Hobbes and Shaw. Elba continues to get cast in big roles in major films to this day. 

Outside of movies and TV, Elba is also active in other areas of life. He DJs from time to time. Surprisingly enough in 2017, he, at 44 years old, even had a professional kickboxing fight. He won that fight by knockout, too.

In 2018, he was named as People magazine’s sexiest man alive. On top of that, Elba is at the center of a campaign, both by him and by his fans, to get him cast as the next James Bond. All of these accolades and adventures make Elba one of the coolest celebrities in the world. That’s probably the primary reason why Ford wanted him for its campaign.

Will it work?

It’s hard to predict what effect Elba will have on Ford. But many think there’s a good chance that it’ll be successful. Ford has a major presence in Europe, and Elba’s genuine connection to Ford through his work history should score some points with the regular consumer.

Add on the fact that many people think Elba is handsome and that he’s a movie star who’s passionate about the environment, according to Automotive News, and Ford may have a strong campaign on its hands. 

That said, Elba’s social media presence isn’t as massive as other celebrities like Kylie Jenner. Elba currently has over 2.5 million Twitter followers and over 4.5 million Instagram followers. That’s actually not a lot compared to more social media savvy celebrities. But, if Ford just wants to become a cooler car maker, then there are not many people better than Elba at doing that.