God Made a Farmer

The Super Bowl seems to be as much about the ads as the game, particularly for those without a team in the running. I did have a team in the game, although they ended up just a few yards shy of a pretty spectacular comeback. So I guess I’m left with disappointment and the ads. I’ll stick to the ads…

Overall I thought that the ads were decent - better than most years. There weren’t as many that tried to be funny but fell awkwardly flat (I’m looking at you, Samsung). Generally the funny ones were entertaining, or at least amusing. The lifestyle ones generally worked and the perennial feel good ones felt good.

But my favorite, by far, was the heartwarming, eloquent words of Paul Harvey overtop the simple, beautiful images of the life of a farmer - Dodge’s “God Made a Farmer”:

It might seem odd or bit incongruous that I would choose the ad of a car company given my continual advocacy for places that are walkable first. There are several points to be made about this. First, my view of the world doesn’t preclude cars but rather seeks a more fitting balance where the person is valued more than the machine. Second, I can appreciate an ad as a creative work - an act of design - on its own merits regardless of my feelings about the product advertised. And finally, nothing portrayed in the ad (maybe up to the point of the tagline) is contrary to what I believe. We need farmers and farmers need trucks. That isn’t to say that there aren’t valid critiques about the ad.

So what made this ad great? Perhaps it was great because it wasn’t so much an ad as a photographic and literary journey to the heartland. Perhaps it was the contrast between the powerful and elegant simplicity of the ad to the overly glitzy and noisy spectacle of the rest of the crowd.

There were probably many elements that contributed to success, but for me it is mostly that the ad is a statement of belief. Obviously Dodge is trying to sell trucks. But instead of focusing on speed, power, or other differentiating metrics Dodge has decided to stake out a much more philosophical position.

It is a markedly “brand” driven advertising - rather than selling the benefits of a product Dodge is trying to sell the values of the brand. Dodge’s message is one of belief:

“We believe in humanity. We believe in the value of hard work. And because we believe these things, our products cannot be anything but great.”

I have long believed that a considered statement that starts with the words “I believe” will inevitably be one of power and clarity. Using that voice in advertising brings great resonance and elegance to the message.

That said, ultimately it’s all about selling products. Am I going out to buy a Dodge truck? No. But do I feel differently today about Dodge as a company than I did yesterday? Absolutely.