Daddy’s Home Movie Premiere: Ford, the Ford Flex and One Unforgettable Night
Some assignments feel like work. Others remind me why I became The Green Living Guy. That’s because Ford invited me to attend the Daddy’s Home movie premiere. So, of course, I went.
The night brought together Hollywood, cars and sustainability. Moreover, Ford didn’t simply sponsor my experience. A Ford Flex also appeared in the movie, creating a direct connection between the premiere and my work covering greener transportation.
Then there was the cast.
Will Ferrell. Mark Wahlberg. Linda Cardellini. Hannibal Buress. Scarlett Estevez. Owen Vaccaro.
I was there for all of it.
And yes, I showed up wearing my Ricky Bobby “Shake and Bake” shirt.
Ford Invited The Green Living Guy
Ford fully invited me to experience the Daddy’s Home premiere.
That made the evening special from the beginning. However, it also made sense for The Green Living Guy.
I had covered Ford for years. I followed its hybrids, electrification programs, fuel-efficiency improvements and sustainability initiatives. Moreover, I watched the company experiment with renewable and recycled materials throughout its vehicles.
So, this wasn’t simply a trip to see a movie.
Ford brought me into an entertainment experience that connected directly with the automotive world I covered.
Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and the Daddy’s Home Cast
Daddy’s Home put Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg at the center of a hilarious battle between two very different fathers.
Ferrell played Brad Whitaker. He wanted to become the perfect stepfather. Meanwhile, Wahlberg played Dusty Mayron, the biological father who suddenly returned and disrupted Brad’s carefully constructed family life.
Naturally, competition followed.
Linda Cardellini played Sara. In addition, Hannibal Buress brought his unmistakable comedy style to Griff.
The younger cast also played an important role. Scarlett Estevez played Megan. Owen Vaccaro played Dylan.
Seeing members of that cast at the premiere turned a movie release into a personal experience.
The Ford Flex Had Its Own Role
Here’s where the story gets even better.
A Ford Flex appeared in Daddy’s Home.
That vehicle fit the movie perfectly. After all, the Flex offered three-row family practicality while maintaining a design that looked completely different from the typical crossover.
However, I saw another side of the Flex.
The vehicle also represented Ford’s growing effort to incorporate more sustainable materials into automobile production.
That made its appearance in Daddy’s Home particularly interesting for me.
Soybeans Found Their Way Into the Ford Flex
Ford had already moved beyond simply talking about sustainable materials.
The company put them into production vehicles.
For example, Ford used soy-based polyurethane foam in vehicle seat cushions and seat backs, including the Flex. The technology reduced reliance on petroleum-based foam while creating a new automotive application for a renewable agricultural crop.
That was a big deal.
Cars require enormous amounts of material. Therefore, replacing even part of a petroleum-based component can create meaningful benefits when manufacturers apply the technology across thousands or millions of vehicles.
Furthermore, soy foam showed that sustainable automotive innovation didn’t have to remain hidden inside a research laboratory.
Drivers could literally sit on it.
Wheat Straw Became Part of the Ford Flex
Ford also found another unlikely automotive material: wheat straw.
Instead of treating agricultural residue only as waste, Ford worked to turn it into a useful manufacturing resource.
The company incorporated wheat-straw-reinforced plastic into storage bins used in the Ford Flex.
That approach replaced part of the conventional material with a renewable agricultural byproduct.
Moreover, the technology demonstrated a larger idea.
The future of greener cars wouldn’t depend only on batteries, electric motors or fuel economy. Automakers could also rethink the materials used to build every vehicle.
Ford Looked Beyond Petroleum
Ford explored renewable and recycled materials throughout its vehicle lineup during this period.
Soybeans became seat foam. Wheat straw reinforced plastics. Meanwhile, recycled tires, recycled plastics and other recovered materials found new automotive applications.
Ford even developed seals and gaskets that incorporated recycled tire rubber and soybean oil.
Consequently, the company started treating automotive sustainability as more than a tailpipe issue.
That approach interested me.
I had spent years talking about electric vehicles and cleaner energy. However, manufacturing also creates a significant environmental footprint.
Therefore, better materials became another important piece of the green-car story.
From the Farm to the Automobile
Think about what Ford was attempting.
Agricultural materials that once had little connection to Detroit suddenly became automotive feedstocks.
Soybeans could help make seats. Wheat straw could help make plastic components.
Moreover, recycled materials could return to productive use instead of immediately becoming waste.
That circular approach offered another path toward greener manufacturing.
The Ford Flex sitting on screen in Daddy’s Home therefore represented more than product placement to me.
It represented a vehicle that connected American agriculture, automotive engineering, manufacturing and sustainability.
Hollywood Meets Green Automotive Technology
A Hollywood movie premiere might seem far removed from environmental technology.
However, culture matters.
Movies introduce vehicles to enormous audiences. Likewise, automotive companies use entertainment to connect their products with everyday life.
The Daddy’s Home premiere brought those worlds together.
Ford invited me as The Green Living Guy. Meanwhile, the Ford Flex appeared in the film. Even better, that vehicle incorporated some of the sustainable-material innovations I had spent years discussing.
Suddenly, the connection made perfect sense.
And Yes, I Wore the “Shake and Bake” Shirt
I couldn’t attend a Will Ferrell premiere without having some fun.
So I wore my Ricky Bobby “Shake and Bake” shirt.
Fans of Talladega Nights understand.
Seeing Ferrell at the Daddy’s Home premiere while wearing that shirt added another layer to an already memorable evening.
However, the experience went beyond celebrity sightings.
I was there representing The Green Living Guy. Ford had invited me into its world. Moreover, I had an opportunity to connect entertainment with the environmental work happening inside the automotive industry.
That made the night much more meaningful.
Conclusion: Ford, Hollywood and The Green Living Guy
Years later, I still remember the Daddy’s Home premiere.
I remember Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. I remember Linda Cardellini and Hannibal Buress. Moreover, I remember Scarlett Estevez and Owen Vaccaro joining the cast for the celebration.
Most importantly, Ford invited me there.
The Ford Flex also gave the night a genuine Green Living Guy connection. It appeared in the movie while representing Ford’s larger push toward renewable and recycled automotive materials.
Soy-based seat foam mattered. Wheat-straw-reinforced plastics mattered. Likewise, Ford’s experiments with recycled materials showed how automakers could rethink the way they built vehicles.
Electric vehicles and fuel economy remain important. However, sustainability doesn’t stop at the powertrain.
What goes into a car matters too.
For one night, Hollywood, Ford, sustainable automotive technology and The Green Living Guy all came together.
And somehow, my “Shake and Bake” shirt fit right in.
Original Post
Back in late December I had been invited to the movie premiere of Daddy’s Home with Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Hannibal Buress. I saw all of them. It was amazing being right there with them for the premiere. So cool and everyone had fun. I even wore my Ricky Bobby Shake and Bake shirt because I love all Will Ferrell movies. Huge, huge fan!
A GARY SANCHEZ Production
“DADDY’S HOME”
Executive Producers Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland, David Koplan,
Kevin Messick, Jessica Elbaum, Sean Anders, Diana Pokorny
Produced by Will Ferrell, p.g.a. Adam McKay, p.g.a. Chris Henchy, p.g.a. John Morris
Story by Brian Burns
Screenplay by Brian Burns and Sean Anders & John Morris
Directed By Sean Anders
