Jim Farley, a marketing star at Toyota Motor Corp., is joining Ford Motor Co. as group vice president of marketing and communications.

Farley, 45, joins Ford in mid-November. He will be Ford’s senior marketing officer and will report to CEO Alan Mulally.

In a statement, Mulally said Farley will bring “world-class marketing” to Ford.

After 13 months on the job, Mulally is making his first significant outside hire in Farley. Ford has been looking for a global marketing officer for several months.

“We are thrilled to welcome one of the most successful and talented leaders in the industry to the Ford Motor Co. team,” Mulally said in the statement. “Jim Farley is well-known for innovative marketing strategies that connect great products to today’s and tomorrow’s customers.”

Farley spent 17 years at Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., most recently as general manager of Lexus Division. He previously was group vice president of marketing for Toyota Division.

Farley also oversaw the launch of Toyota ’s youth subbrand, Scion.

At Ford, Farley will work with the leaders of the company’s worldwide business units and global product development team.

He will lead Ford’s efforts to connect more closely with customers through integrated marketing, advertising, digital communications, brand development, product planning, research, product communications and public relations. Ford’s global communications and public relations organization now will report to Farley.

Farley said he is eager to get started.

“My connection with Ford goes way back to my first car, a 1966 Ford Mustang,” Farley said in the statement. “I bought it when I was 15, restored it and drove it from California to Michigan . I am excited to make that trip once again.”

Mulally, who has criticized Ford marketing decisions, challenged the company’s marketing leaders late last year to do a better job of promoting product in 2007. That resulted in Ford shifting away from the Bold Moves campaign launched in 2006 in favor of the Ford Challenge promotion it has been using.

Farley’s exit from Toyota is the latest of several high-profile departures of U.S. executives from the Japanese automaker in the past few months.

Last month, Jim Press left as president of Toyota Motor North America Inc. to become co-president and vice chairman of Chrysler LLC. Press had been Toyota ’s top-ranking North American executive.

In August, Deborah Wahl Meyer defected from Toyota , where she had been marketing vice president of Lexus Division, to become Chrysler’s chief marketing officer.

 

 

Ford needs as much help as they can get.