Choosing a spokesperson for a new brand is pretty tough, especially if someone else has already had a go at selling what you’re trying to. 

NIssan chose world-champion cyclist Lance Armstrong to be their public face on early Nissan LEAF commercials.  

It appears Ford has chosen American actor and well-known environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. From what we can see, he’s gunning for Ford, taking shots at every other plug-in car on the market. 

In what can only be described as an infomercial for Ford’s new line of plug-in vehicles, Begley. presents a 3-and-a-half minute short explaining why Ford’s electric vehicles are better than the competition. 

There’s no punches spared either.  Within seconds of the short starting, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Nissan LEAF are named and shamed, using reproduced newspaper headlines from Voltgate and Nissan’s EPA rating

The ultimate attack is aimed at the 2012 Ford Focus Electric’s direct competitor, the Nissan LEAF. Highlighting Ford’s on-board 6.6 kilowatt charger in its electric vehicles is twice as powerful as in the LEAF, Begley jibes, “Focus Electric can fully charge in just over 3 hours. I could mention cars that take twice that time, but I’ll LEAF that alone”

We’re not sure if Begley’s involvement with Ford is an ongoing one, but in the infomercial his endorsement of the brand certainly hints at a long-term relationship. 

As for the video? We’ve seen better, but perhaps this is just an initial video intended for public demonstrations like the 2011 Detroit Auto Show rather than online or traditional advertising. 

The video is below. Let us know what you think.