Nashville comedian Nate Bargatze continues to add new roles to his resume: Writer, director, podcast host, and now, Ford Motor Co.'s new spokesman.
Ford has tapped Bargatze, who owns a Ford truck himself, to help convince vehicle owners to head back to their local dealership for service work rather than using third-party service shops.
On Sept. 28, the automaker announced it will start running a national ad campaign that stars Bargatze, including two 30-second commercials that will begin streaming on Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2027.
In one of the ads, Bargatze stands in front of his house as a Ford mobile unit with a technician working on his vehicle.
In another, Bargatze struggles to open his hood at a Ford dealership service bay when a technician
comes and does it in one swift motion.
"I don't know how to take care of my truck," Bargatze said, with the ad describing him as a "talented comedian" and "terrible mechanic." "But the technicians at Ford Service, they do," he said.
"I don't normally do commercials," Bargatze said in a spot for Ford Mobile Service, adding that he was "blown away" when he learned the service is free.
"I was like, do people know about this?" he said. "So here I am, letting y'all know about it."
Ford chose Bargatze because the comedian is a fan of the brand, said Phil O’Connor, executive director of Ford's marketing communications.
His everyman appeal and clean comedy style is also relatable and grounded, Ford thought.
It makes him "the right partner to help us talk about something practical and important for customers: Knowing who to trust when it comes to taking care of their vehicle," O'Connor said.
Bargatze's wholesome comedy style does not rely on swearing or crude jokes to get laughs. He has also largely avoided political topics at his shows.
Bargatze did face pushback in June after attending President Donald Trump's UFC Freedom 250 fight, leading some fans to express disappointment and frustration across social media platforms.
Bargatze has not directly commented himself on the backlash, but his representatives stated that he "is not political, nor is anything he produces."
Ford's O'Connor expressed the same sentiment, saying that "we haven't talked to him about that and don't have any concerns about that."
"I think his brand is very strong, very consistent, very well understood, and that's what attracted us to a partnership."
Bargatze is currently on his Big Dumb Eyes World Tour, heading into a multi-night residency in Las Vegas, and is working on several major television projects.
Bargatze also plans to open a theme park in the Nashville area called Nateland. Locals await news of opening dates.
To learn more about Bargatze, visit nateland.com.
Contributing: Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press, Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News
Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@tennessean.com. Follow her on Instagram at @audreyraegibbs.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nate Bargatze tapped as new Ford Motor Co. Service spokesperson
