UPDATED! Ford's not pleased with the Chevy truck super bowl ad that implies Ford trucks aren't built tough enough to survive the Mayan apocalypse. How upset are they? They're so pissed the automaker's sent letters to both GM and NBC asking them to pull the ad from tonight's big game.


Well, shoot, this may be more fun than the Super Bowl itself.

We knew that the folks at Ford weren't happy with the "2012" Super Bowl ad on Friday when it was released, but sending a cease-and-desist right before the $7 million spot airs is an interesting maneuver.


In another twist, Motoramic reports that Ford is pressuring NBC not to air it.

We're still trying to sort out what's true, but so far all we can tell is that GM's having a great time at Ford's expense.

"We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickup on the road," said GM Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick in a press release. "We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away."

Expect an update when we learn more.

UPDATE (2:07 PM EST): Ford Trucks head spokesperson Mike Levine told us moments ago that yes, a letter was sent by Ford. And here's why:

"We don't agree with GM's claims in the ad. Particularly around durability. What's important is that Ford is proud to be the number one selling truck in America for 35 years. The best-selling vehicle in America for 30 years. And the only brand with more trucks on the road with more than 250,000 miles. That demonstrates just how durable our trucks are in the real world." "The issue with the ad is that 'Dave' doesn't survive because he's driving a Ford. They cite R.L. Polk data on longevity — not durability. If you look at R.L. Polk's data on durability — the same data I just gave you — there are more Ford trucks on the road with more than 250,000 miles." "We've made our point and we'll always defend our products." "But this type of a request happens from time-to-time, and now we'll just let our legal team handle it."


UPDATE (4:45 PM EST): Here's the text of the Ford letter:

Dear Mr. Williams: It is my understanding that Chevrolet intends to run a commercial during tomorrow's Super Bowl that makes false and misleading claims regarding the durability and safety of the Chevy Silverado and disparages Ford's pickup trucks. I write to demand that you refrain from running this commercial. The commercial at issue, entitled "Chevy Silverado '2012'" (see