A Ford owner is going viral on TikTok after showing how the logo, flipped around, reads, “Brat.” Why is this the latest online phenomenon?
TikTok user Hailey LaRae (@haileylarae) posted a video of the tailgate of her Ford truck on Tuesday. The video shows her tailgate with the reversed logo to the tune of Charlie XCX’s “365.”
“To whoever said if you flip Ford’s logo around it says brat, thank you. I cannot unsee it,” the on-screen text reads.
Why Does It Matter?
In the caption, LaRae adds the following hashtags: “#ford #bratsummer #brat.” This is clearly a reference to the “Brat Summer” sparked by U.K. pop star Charlie XCX’s “Brat” album in 2024. The album’s vibrant green cover art, accompanied by its unvarnished take on the concerns of the modern party girl, made it one of the biggest records (and memes) of the year.
Commenters Were All In on the ‘Bratmobile’
In the comments, Ford UK weighed in, “Bratmobile owners assemble.”
“I like that the T is uppercase so it accentuates it,” observed another user.
In the true spirit of Brat, some users took the opportunity to settle personal scores with Ford and beyond.
“Ford is very brat (derogatory),” wrote one user.
“Ah, this explains why my ex drove a Ford,” joked a second.
TikTokers Aren’t the Only Netizens Who Noticed
The r/CharlieXCX community on Reddit addressed this a few weeks ago in a thread tagged “Braturday.”
“F150, when you’re in the mirror you’re just looking at me,” wrote one user, invoking the lyrics of “360.”
A second user referenced an older Charli XCX material. “VROOM VROOM,” they wrote.
“I drive a Ford F150 and love Brat. And Charli. Uhmmm, I’m putting this on a Brat green tank top,” wrote a third user.
Someone else said, “Alert the press.” Duly noted.
A Little Look at the History of These Iconic Symbols
The Ford logo of today debuted in 2003 and has since become one of the most recognizable symbols in the auto industry. It is based in part on Henry Ford’s actual signature.
Charli XCX explained in an Apple Music interview that she chose the minimalist cover color scheme as a budget-saving measure. It was also a way to reinforce a central tenet of the Brat ethos: to resist societal expectations.
Motor1 reached out to LaRae via TikTok and to Ford via email for comment.
