Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Ford.
Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our story began in NYC in 2016 when my husband Kyle Ford and I founded Ford Media Lab with a simple belief: premium and luxury brands deserve visual content that refuses to blend in. What started as a husband-and-wife creative partnership has evolved into something much more powerful – a visual intelligence agency that’s redefining how CPG, tech, spirits, and luxury brands connect with their audiences.
The early years were about mastering the craft. Kyle brought his technical expertise and eye for detail, while I contributed my strategic marketing background – which gave me deep insights into how premium and luxury brands think, move, and compete. That insider perspective became our secret weapon in understanding what these brands truly need to cut through the noise.
Seven years in, we realized traditional creative agencies were solving yesterday’s problems with yesterday’s tools. Brands were drowning in content that looked the same, performed poorly, and cost too much to produce. We saw an opportunity to merge decades of photography mastery with cutting-edge AI capabilities – what we now call visual intelligence.
The breakthrough came when we started developing AI-enhanced workflows that could transform simple studio shots into impossible lifestyle scenes, create fascinating content at scale, and deliver measurable impact for our clients. Instead of just keeping up with innovation, we were leading it.
This summer, we made the strategic decision to relocate to Miami. A move that positions us at the heart of luxury commerce, hospitality, and international brand expansion. Miami’s energy perfectly matches our ‘fascination first’ philosophy, and we’re already seeing how this vibrant market elevates our creative thinking.
Today, Ford Media Lab delivers visual intelligence that transforms how brands connect, compete, and captivate their audiences. We’ve spent nine years building something unique: faster workflows, sharper creative, and content that performs. When premium brands refuse to blend in, they call us.
What excites me most is that we’re just getting started. Visual intelligence is the future of brand content, and Miami is the perfect launchpad for showing the world what’s possible when artistry meets innovation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road? Absolutely not – and honestly, I’m grateful for that. Every challenge we’ve faced has sharpened our edge and made us stronger. Being an entrepreneur can feel like starting a new business every year!
The creative industry moves at lightning speed. When we started Ford Media Lab in 2016, Instagram was still primarily square photos, TikTok didn’t exist, and AI was science fiction for most brands. Fast-forward to today, and we’re creating impossible lifestyle scenes with AI, delivering fast-to-market campaigns that would have taken weeks to produce just two years ago. If we hadn’t developed that muscle for constant adaptation, we’d be extinct.
The biggest struggle? Learning to see disruption as opportunity rather than threat. When AI became a buzz-word, we watched other agencies panic about being replaced. We made a different choice – we dove in headfirst, spent months mastering the technology, and emerged as visual intelligence pioneers. That willingness to reinvent ourselves is exactly why future-thinking companies seek us out. They need partners who can keep pace with their market evolution.
Kyle and I have developed what I call ‘entrepreneur muscle memory’ – the ability to pivot quickly without losing our core identity. Whether it was transitioning from traditional photography to AI-enhanced workflows, relocating from Brooklyn to Miami, or constantly upgrading our tech stack, we’ve learned that adaptability is our competitive advantage.
The truth is, if entrepreneurship were easy, everyone would do it. The fact that it requires constant innovation, relentless problem-solving, and the courage to rebuild your business model whenever the market demands it? That’s exactly what makes us invaluable to our clients. They’re facing the same pressures we are – evolving consumer expectations, new platforms launching monthly, and the need to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Our tech-forward approach means we’re constantly anticipating change instead of just keeping up with it. While other agencies are still figuring out how to use AI tools, we’re already developing signature workflows that deliver results faster and more efficiently than traditional methods. That agility we’ve built through years of adaptation is exactly what premium brands need to stay ahead.
Every ‘struggle’ has been a masterclass in resilience that directly benefits our clients today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ford Media Lab?
Ford Media Lab is a visual intelligence agency, transforming how brands create content that captivates and converts. Aside from being early adopters of AI technology, what sets us apart is that we’ve developed systems that deliver measurably superior performance for our clients.
We specialize in what we call ‘visual intelligence’ – the strategic intersection of AI-enhanced creative workflows and premium brand psychology. While other agencies create content and hope it performs, we engineer content designed to drive specific business outcomes. Our clients across CPG, tech, spirits, and luxury categories see average engagement increases of 40-70% when they partner with us.
What we’re known for is solving the modern brand’s biggest challenge: creating premium content at scale without sacrificing quality or strategic thinking. Every piece of content we deliver is optimized for maximum impact across every platform and touchpoint.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of our award-nominated work like the 1806 Magazine project for Rémy Cointreau’s Collectif 1806, which earned Tales of the Cocktail recognition. Or being named one of AdWeek’s ‘100 Fastest Growing Agencies.’ But what truly excites me is our consistent performance metrics – we’ve cracked the code on delivering both creative excellence and measurable business results.
Our business model centers on three core offerings: Strategy (visual intelligence consulting), AI-enhanced creative production (impossible content created 10x faster than traditional methods), and Performance Optimization (continuous improvement based on real engagement data). We’re proud to be defining what’s possible when technology serves creativity.
What readers should know is that Ford Media Lab represents the future of premium brand content. We’ve relocated to Miami because this market understands luxury, international commerce, and sophisticated visual storytelling. Our ‘fascination first’ philosophy combined with expertise in AI technology means we create content that both looks exceptional and performs exceptionally.
Ford Media Lab has spent years perfecting workflows that merge artistic vision with business intelligence, making us invaluable partners for brands that refuse to blend in.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The creative industry has been fundamentally transformed, and we’ve been riding the wave from day one. Two years ago, when a luxury startup approached us with ambitious goals but a constrained budget, it became crystal clear that traditional methods wouldn’t cut it. That moment forced us to innovate.
Since then, we’ve watched tools evolve at breakneck speed, our capabilities expand exponentially, and honestly? Nothing feels impossible anymore. Our brand campaigns no longer have limits – we’re delivering fascination on behalf of our clients that would have been pure science fiction just 24 months ago. The industry has already experienced its iPhone moment with AI, and we chose to be early adopters rather than late adapters.
As future-thinking creatives, we see AI adoption as inevitable – it’s like electricity, automobiles, or the internet. The initial trepidation will give way to full acceptance, and the professionals who embraced these tools early will define the next decade. When it comes to predicting 5-10 years in AI and creative, it’s honestly hard to predict three months from now! The velocity of change is unprecedented – new platforms launch monthly, tools improve weekly, and capabilities that seemed impossible yesterday are standard practice today.
What excites us most is that we’re witnessing the birth of an entirely new creative class. The most in-demand jobs will be creative directors who know how to harness AI as a strategic amplifier. We’re talking about professionals who understand that AI doesn’t create, it amplifies. The human remains the creative director, setting vision, making judgment calls, and ensuring brand soul remains intact.
The agencies that will thrive are focused on developing unique workflows that merge human creativity with machine intelligence. We’ve moved beyond automation to true creative partnership, where AI handles computational heavy lifting while humans focus on strategy, brand psychology, and impossible-to-quantify creative decisions that drive real business impact.
More companies are finally understanding the efficiencies and possibilities of leveraging these tools properly. The future belongs to creative professionals who can orchestrate AI capabilities while maintaining the strategic thinking, cultural insight, and brand intuition that only human creativity can provide. Ford Media Lab strives to be a best-in-class example of what’s possible when technology serves creativity rather than replacing it.
Pricing:
- Ongoing Partnerships: Starting at $18,000/month (Most partnerships: $20,000–$35,000/month)
- Project-Based Engagements: Starting at $18,000 per project (Most projects: $20,000–$50,000+)
- Consulting & Advisory: $395/hour with no minimum engagement
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fordmedialab.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fordmedialab/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/FordMediaLab
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rachelford-cd/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@FordMediaLab
- Other: https://linkedin.com/in/kyle4d/
Image Credits
Kyle Ford, Ford Media Lab
