How Ford and W+K led the charge in a global race

For some, the promise of an EV is marred by the idea of limited journey distances and inadequate charging facilities, but Ford and Wieden+Kennedy want to change that view. And break a World Record at the same time.

In order to promote the abilities of the brand's Explorer model, the creative team decided to celebrate the achievements of pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell, who, over 100 years ago, became the first woman to drive around the world. Her car of choice: the Model T Ford.

However, rather than simply bringing the century-old feat to life in film, the decision was made to emulate the journey with modern-day explorer Lexie Limitless; asking her to travel over 30,000 kilometers across six continents (a world record in an electric vehicle) and have the highs and lows drawn together in a three-part docuseries for Prime Video through WracK (W+K's in-house production).

With an entertaining result that's already built up an audience on the streaming service, we sat down with director Chris Faith, creative directors David Colman and Curro de la Villa, and producer Jennifer Lawlor to speak more about the project's development, the audacity of the production schedule, and how branded entertainment is truly finding its audience.

Charge Around the Globe is an ambitious narrative. How did the idea originate, and how did you decide to focus on Lexie’s story alongside Aloha Wanderwell’s legacy?

David Colman: The initial concept of the idea came from AMV BBDO, who proposed sending Lexie around the world in an EV, retracing Aloha Wanderwell’s groundbreaking journey from nearly a century ago. When the project came to W+K, it was still just an idea—a fascinating one—but our task was to turn it into a compelling, contemporary narrative.

We developed the entertainment hook by framing it as a world record attempt and naming the project Charge Around the Globe. But we wanted the series to be more than just breaking a record. With a fantastic team, including Mark Saben and Chris Faith, we structured the journey around meeting trailblazers whose stories paralleled Lexie’s, adding depth and purpose.

We quickly realized that Lexie’s journey was too rich to squeeze into a traditional ad.

This approach connected Aloha Wanderwell’s legacy with Lexie’s adventure in the Ford Explorer EV, creating a narrative that celebrated resilience, innovation, and the spirit of exploration.

When was it decided that it should be ‘branded content’ [for want of a better phrase] rather than traditional advertising?

Curro de la Villa: We quickly realized that Lexie’s journey was too rich to squeeze into a traditional ad. By creating a long-form series, we could authentically showcase the Explorer EV tackling real-world challenges like range anxiety and charging infrastructure. This documentary style let us engage audiences with content they genuinely enjoy, seamlessly integrating the brand into a compelling narrative.

We also saw this as an opportunity to make the Ford Explorer EV a character in its own right. By embedding the vehicle into the heart of Lexie’s journey in a long format, we showed its capabilities—not in a scripted, polished way, but in the unpredictable reality of a 30,000 km adventure. This wasn’t about selling; it was about proving.

How was Chris Faith chosen and how closely did you collaborate?

DC: Chris Faith was the perfect fit for this project—a brilliant director with a BAFTA-winning background and just an all-around great person to work with. His experience in crafting powerful long-form stories really shone through, and he was so generous in sharing his knowledge, teaching us a lot along the way.

We worked closely with Chris throughout the entire process, and he went beyond just focusing on the documentary. He got involved in other parts of the campaign too, always bringing his sharp eye for emotional storytelling and keeping everything authentic. His vision and dedication were key to making Charge Around the Globe what it is.

What drew you to the Charge Around the Globe project?

Jennifer Lawlor: The scale and challenge of this project immediately caught my attention. It felt like an incredible opportunity—one rooted in a compelling, authentic story. I knew that if WracK didn’t step up to produce it, someone else would, and we wanted us to be the ones to pitch as the production partner, even though we weren’t sure if we’d ultimately succeed.

Authenticity wasn’t just a 'nice-to-have' - it was the whole point.

WracK is the in-house production company at Wieden+Kennedy London, and contrary to what people may think about in-house production companies, we are deeply committed to the craft, and we work relentlessly hard to earn every opportunity. We knew this would be a tough pitch, but given our scalable model, we brought in some top people who have a proven, award-winning track record in TV production [including director Chris Faith]. Armed with their expertise, combined with our unique knowledge of production within an agency context—where client involvement plays a pivotal role—we felt confident that, at the very least, we had a chance at winning this work.

Chris Faith: Aloha Wanderwell’s story is incredible! That and the opportunity to re-imagine her epic circumnavigation a century ago through the eyes of contemporary adventurer in Lexie Alford.

JL: Opportunities to be part of a project like this are rare, especially in an advertising production company like WracK. But the way we approach production—and the boundaries we are historically used to working within—are changing. At WracK, we want to be able to bring all kinds of projects to life, and this one has shown that we’re definitely up to the challenge.

What steps did you take to ensure the campaign felt authentic whilst fulfilling its advertising role?

CdlV: Authenticity wasn’t just a 'nice-to-have' - it was the whole point. Ford took the brave leap of letting the real story play out, even when things got messy. That meant showing charging hiccups in the middle of nowhere, the emotional highs and lows, and everything in between. There were no canned moments, no overly polished edits. What you see is what really happened, and that’s what made it credible, relatable, and, ultimately, human.

We also focused on the human element, following Lexie’s emotional journey and including voices from trailblazing contributors around the world. By spotlighting real people, real challenges, and real triumphs, the campaign resonated beyond being just an EV showcase—it became a story about resilience, innovation, and connection.

Chris, your previous work showcases a knack for blending entertainment with authentic storytelling. How did these experiences influence your approach to this docu-series?

CF: In short, I’m a sucker for human stories—and I just genuinely love finding out about people, who they are and what makes them tick.

So, we started with a brilliant historical story in Aloha Wanderwell’s circumnavigation of the globe, and now, a century later we had the opportunity to celebrate that achievement by re-imagining the journey in an EV, through the experience of contemporary adventurer, Lexie Arnold. But, simply covering Lexie’s record wouldn’t necessarily guarantee engaging or entertaining storytelling (which could essentially just be a lot of driving and charging!).

One of the most critical decisions early on was to frame the series around a world record attempt.

For me, it was key for Lexie to punctuate her journey around the world by meeting some locals along the way. We wanted our locals to relate with Lexie, perhaps even inspire her with their stories, so it made sense to look for locals who had made a difference in their own way, fellow trailblazers as such. That’s when things got interesting and entertaining. What I’ve learned to do at that point in these situations is ask the questions as a viewer and let Lexie and our contributors do the rest.

Were there any pivotal moments during the creative process that redefined the direction of the campaign? 

CdlV: One of the most critical decisions early on was to frame the series around a world record attempt. It gave us a natural backbone for the story - stakes, urgency, a reason to keep watching. But it was more than that. It made the journey feel bigger, more epic, like something you couldn’t ignore. 
Another pivotal moment was deciding to include stories of other trailblazers. This shifted the series from being solely about Lexie’s record attempt to a broader exploration of people pushing boundaries, making it more relatable and engaging for viewers. 

How did you combine Aloha Wanderwell’s historical journey with Lexie’s modern adventure to create a cohesive narrative? What compromises needed to be made? 

CF: Aloha Wanderwell’s journey was very much the inspiration for the journey and record attempt. So, Aloha was a constant reference in terms of her achievements and experience, but we never thought that we would recreate a carbon copy of her route. 

The challenge was finding points that both Lexie and Aloha had crossed or driven through. Combining our footage with the Archive of Aloha in those spots really helped anchor Lexie in Aloha’s tire tracks.

Jennifer, coordinating a shoot across 27 countries is a monumental task. What were the primary logistical challenges, and how did you overcome them?

JL: The production team, led daily by Senior Line Producer Kate Noble, was truly extraordinary. They managed to pull off miracles day in and day out, navigating a constant stream of challenges.

The biggest hurdle was keeping the journey moving forward—so many things, almost on a daily basis, could (and did) throw us off course: visas, permits, car insurance, illness, slow charging access, border crossings—you name it. When you’re relying on embassies, local government offices, or insurance companies, you can only do so much and then hope that with enough persistence, things will fall into place. But everyone shared a common goal: to keep pushing forward. Safety was always a top priority, but beyond that, the drive to keep moving no matter what is what kept the team going.

We initially thought the journey would take 90 days, but ultimately it ended at 200 days.

A project like this, where you’re dealing with so many unknowns in pre-production, is one thing—but the unknowns keep coming at you every day once you're in the field, especially since you're not working in a controlled environment.

When you watch the show, you'll see we initially thought the journey would take 90 days, but ultimately it ended at 200 days. That meant we had to factor in an extra 110 days on top of that, all while filming every day and moving the unit daily. Often, it felt like waking up each day to fill a bucket with water, only to find there was a huge hole in the bottom—and doing it all over again the next day. It really takes a special kind of team to handle that level of unpredictability on a daily basis.

Chris, from a directorial standpoint, how did you adapt to the diverse environments and unforeseen obstacles during the shoot? 

CF: My experience on making scripted and unscripted observed documentary content has helped me adapt to varied environments and unforeseen circumstances. That and working with real people. I’ve learned to do my homework in terms of research, scripting and planning. 

And then, most importantly, knowing that all that could go out the window at a moment's notice. 

Is there a specific moment in the campaign you’re particularly proud of? 

CdlV: A standout moment was when the team hit a wall with charging infrastructure and had to reroute on the fly. It was pure chaos - in the best way. This wasn’t in the script, but that’s where the real story came alive. 

Watching Lexie and the crew adapt under pressure, pivoting plans and solving problems in real time, was electric. It showed what this project was really about: adaptability, and everyone - from Lexie to the boots on the ground to Ford - rolling up their sleeves and making it work. 

The journey's unpredictability forced us to adapt the narrative in real-time, which made the series feel more alive and authentic. 

That’s when you realize this wasn’t just a marketing campaign; it was a living, breathing adventure. 

Which part of the process did you find most memorable or rewarding? 

CF: Meeting and working with some incredible trailblazing contributors along the way. That was a real privilege.  

I was especially in awe of the Black Mambas, an all-female ranger unit based in a nature reserve home to the largest rhino population in the world.  

Were there any other unexpected moments during production that impacted the creative direction? 

CdlV: Plenty! 

One of the biggest challenges was dealing with the unexpected obstacles of the journey itself - like visa issues, weather conditions, the conditions of unknown roads…. These moments were stressful for the production team but also ended up being some of the most compelling parts of the story. 

The journey's unpredictability forced us to adapt the narrative in real-time, which made the series feel more alive and authentic. Those curveballs kept the team on their toes and ultimately improved storytelling.