Mercury Mariner
Even as Ford Motor Company was gearing up to disband the Mercery lineup, there was a final ditch effort to try and garner interest in the brand. A new marketing campaign was launched to appeal to female car shoppers. The Mariner was the first product of these efforts, and it took the styling of the Ford Escape and combined that with luxury appointments (via Hot Cars).
The problem is that most consumers weren’t going to pay a premium for a jazzed-up Ford Escape. The car didn’t offer anything unique, and the design was dated compared to the competition. The Mariner did sell in respectable numbers, but it was not enough to save the Mercury brand. Ford had lost billions trying to save a brand that had lost its identity decades before.