HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY? NO, SERIOUSLY: The imminent implosion of the U.S. car industry apparently hinges on a US$25 billion bailout they’ve requested from the government, and the way public opinion is blowing, giving it to them might go down in history with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act and prohibition as the most unpopular piece of legislation ever.

(Don’t you just love saying Smoot-Hawley? I know I do. I try to work it into conversations at least once a week.)

When they’re not spending too much to make cars no one wants to buy, the big carmakers are also one of the biggest segments of the advertising market, paying for campaigns on primetime TV and in practically every magazine on the newsstands. Ford in particular has been a major sponsor of American Idol over seven seasons of the show, creating bespoke commercials for the show and branding itself all over the show’s website.

I wasn’t aware how much money the company had spent on their Idol partnership until I read an article last week in Broadcasting & cable magazine on their dogged determination to maintain the relationship despite withering economic conditions. Last year’s Ford Idol campaign cost $78 million dollars, a substantial chunk of the $328.5 that’s been spent by the company since they became the show’s main sponsor.

This year’s Idol campaign was focused on the unveiling of the 2009 Ford Focus, a stolid and generally uninspiring bit of metal made to show that the company was serious about improving mileage and seriously competing with Japan, though most industry observers say that it’s a bit late. Ford, maintaining their traditional role, is still number two in the ad-buying hierarchy, spending $982.1 million on TV advertising last year to GM’s $1.1 billion and Chrysler’s $750 million.

Despite their commitment to Idol, Ford will probably join the other automakers next year in cutting their budgets to make it look like they’re serious people who can be trusted with $25 billion of public money – stepping up the trimming of advertising buy-ins, as well as other economies like replacing the single malt and champagne on the corporate jet with Red Bull and juice packs.

If the government bailout doesn’t happen, however, Idol could find itself losing a major sponsor mid-season, as viewers tune in to find that Idol moments are being brought to you by pizza pops, and that the car part of the winner’s prize package has been replaced by a George Foreman Grill.