Jun 29, 2010 at 03:52PM

In the automotive industry, It's a pretty common practice to release teaser shots of next year's or new models to get the media wondering (and reporting) about the particulars. Manufacturers like to keep the offical reveal for the big auto shows and use the 'leaks' as appetizers beforehand. The images usually look something like this from VW and BMW respectively, all dark and shadowy.

Two More Typical Teaser Shots:

The folks over at Ford have released teaser images for the new 2011 Ford Explorer, but instead of the norm they put a little more thought into the images. I don't need to say a whole lot about them, except that they do the job of a tease but in a way that is consistent with their brand. They tantalize but on a few more levels than a dark clinical studio shot ever could. It's a small thing, but that's what branding is all about. The small things done consistently well.

Ford Explorer 2011 Teaser Images: