Did you see this ad on the Super Bowl last night? My husband Jeff and I sat mesmerized through Paul Harvey’s eloquent reading.
Jeff and I have both spent time working in or with advertising agencies. At the end of this commercial, we declared, “Now that was a good ad!” It was magical really. Here’s why:
The alchemy between the creative and the client worked. The Richards Group agency and the marketing people at Ram Trucks obviously shared a vision that allowed the creative to flourish. It’s rare when this happens, but the result is genius. On message, on target, emotive, evocative.
We were hanging on the edge of our seats. We wanted to know: Who was responsible for this commercial? The payoff came silently at the end of the two-minute spot. We own a Ford, but we’ll remember Ram.
It captured the essence of the American farmer. Many jobs are strenuous, underpaid, and thankless, but farming stands in a class all its own. The farmer is an entrepreneur. The farmer assumes all the risks, performs executive decision-making side-by-side with menial tasks, and endures browbeating from people who’ve never set foot in a field. And yet the farmer perseveres, spurred on by love of the land, the work, the life, and the noble mission of feeding people.
The message was elevated, and so was the viewer. This commercial told a story without dumbed-down slapstick comedy or sexualized crudeness. The visuals were simple, beautiful, dignified—the makings of great theater. We applaud and request an encore.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT
loved this…so eye opening, so tasteful, and absolutely mesmerizing. I thought it was a beautiful commercial, and a great celebration of some of the best people in America. I agree with you – i want an encore :) Brilliant job by Ram…
It really cut through the clutter of all the rest of the ads and elicited quite a response!
I loved the commercial too – for all of the reasons mentioned! I love that they showed a diversity of races and ages and gender.
Me, too. Diana Prichard, a hog farmer from Michigan, wrote an excellent opinion piece on CNN’s Eatocracy today. She points out minorities in ag were actually over-represented, not under-represented, in the ad. It’s a good read: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/02/07/opinion-where-are-the-female-and-minority-farmers/?hpt=ea_mid
I liked the ad (watched online as I was swimming with my kids) but my question is this: Where were the women? I counted two and only one of those was pictured by herself. In addition, USDA statistics indicate women are the fastest growing sector of new farmers.
**This comment from a woman who pitches hay bales, feeds livestock, etc. right along side her father and now her husband.
Good point, Annie. I was impressed they showed any diversity at all–maybe they’re moving in the right direction at showing a more realistic portrayal of farmers. We can hope :)
Every time this video is shared Dodge will donate to Agricultural Education and to the National FFA Organization. Dodge and FFA are promoting the education of our future generations – I am so happy to see so many who understand the value of American agriculture. Thank you!
Becki, I love the tie in to ag ed and FFA. It’s a great match and serves to adds credibility to their message. Ram not only pays homage to the American farmer, they will put their money where their mouth is!
I loved the ad and appreciate your analysis here! I totally agree that it was refreshing to see an ad that doesn’t “dumb-down” the details, and touched everyone without sex, alcohol or comedy. It was beautiful and poignant. I’m a farmer and I’m honored and, yes, HUMBLED by this ad.
I blogged about it today, as well. Thanks for your post and support!
Debbie, I woke up and wrote this post this morning without looking much at what coverage it was receiving. Once I published it and starting looking around, I’ve been overwhelmed with how many bloggers wrote about this! It moved so many of us to comment. That in itself is some evidence, albeit anecdotal, of the ad’s success. I hope it made a similar positive impression with the rest of the viewership. Here’s a link to your post so others can read: http://kansascattleranch.blogspot.com/2013/02/meaty-monday-so-god-made-farmer.html
Thank you so much for caring, Aimee. I am proud to grow your food and hope to one day get to meet you in person.
Anne
Same here, Anne. I look forward to meeting you someday soon!
On the mark again, Aimee. God Bless, and God Bless Farmers.
Thank you, Ray. Same to you!