Rob Ford is the mayor of Toronto. The Ford Motor Company (no relation to the mayor) makes cars and trucks. They are completely separate entities, lest you were confused. On Wednesday, the automaker tip toed into the ongoing mayoral soap opera up north in order to try to fully extricate itself from it. That’s because Rob Ford’s antics have created a somewhat bemused following that’s even sprouted its own merchandise. One bit of Mayor Ford-themed paraphernalia is the “Ford Nation” t-shirt that uses the car company’s iconic blue oval logo, which dragged the automaker into the fray.
“Ford did not grant permission for use of its logo,” a company spokesman told Bloomberg. “We view it as an unauthorized use of our trademark and have asked it to be stopped.” Ford was spotted signing the “Ford Nation” shirts at a charity event on Tuesday for the United Way. So, at least the fleeting unauthorized endorsement deal goes to charity. For those still looking for some Mayor Ford schwag, there are still plenty of t-shirts, bobbleheads, burgers and hot dogs devoted to the Toronto mayor.
