The new commercials are an extension of an effective formula Ford used recently as well as an effort to take Ford from a brand customers respect to one viewed as offering cutting-edge products.

"We wanted to sort of ride the wave of enthusiasm that Ford has been having ... and it seemed like the best way to do that was by sharing the stories of the people who are enjoying the product," said Toby Barlow, chief creative officer for Team Detroit, a consortium of five advertising agencies that handles Ford's advertising.

The new campaign also demonstrates that Ford is increasingly willing to flex its marketing muscle in an attempt to solidify recent market share gains.

Ford, the only domestic automaker to forgo federal emergency funding, has gained a full point of market share over the first nine months of this year and reported a $2.3-billion profit for the second quarter.

While the company doesn't expect to earn a profit for the year and is burdened with $25.8 billion in automotive debt, Matt VanDyke, Ford's director of marketing communications, said Ford will increase total advertising spending during the final three months of 2009.

And for the year, VanDyke said, Ford will spend about 10 percent more than last year.

In 2008, Ford spent an estimated $1.01 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

What's more, VanDyke said the next phase of the company's Drive One branding campaign is an additional layer on top of Ford's other product-related commercials and builds on a proven formula.

In April, Ford took home the prize for most effective automotive advertisement of 2008 from Nielsen IAG for a commercial featuring a real customer in a Ford Focus.

"The real people aspect of that advertisement and the sincerity came through loud and clear and connected with the viewer," said Lois Miller, president of Nielsen IAG Automotive.

VanDyke said Drive One has helped Ford gain recognition for improved fuel economy and quality. With the new phase of Drive One, Ford hopes to convince consumers that Ford is, "successful, clever, savvy and cool."

To do that, the short commercials feature customers raving about everything from the acceleration of the Ford Fusion hybrid to the convenience of having a refrigerator in the Ford Flex crossover.

"It's very well done," said Jim Seavitt, owner of Village Ford in Dearborn, Mich. "They originally had another campaign in mind, and I am very happy with this."

Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing research, said 26 weeks is an unusually long advertisement commitment for a domestic automaker but said Ford's marketing efforts are becoming more disciplined than those of some competitors.

"The ads will work if they are consistent," Spinella said. "In Ford's case, they hammer the point, and they continue hammering it until people get it."

In addition to using the advertisements as TV commercials, Ford also plans to adapt them for various online advertising efforts. Ford also said it has developed a separate campaign for the Washington market aimed at policy decision-makers.