Rural America (and probably many, many urban voices) collectively fell silent last night as Paul Harvey’s voice rang out over the airwaves during the Super Bowl, reciting his famous monologue, “God Made a Farmer.” The commercial was a poignant moment of clarity amidst some mixed-review ads, celebrating American agriculture and serving as a fundraising piece for National FFA. The ad, attached to the hashtag #GodMadeAFarmer, was the product of a partnership between Dodge, National FFA, Case-IH, and Farms.com.
Our Chief Creative Officer Glenn Dawes summed it up well:
The real insight here, however, is that farmers continue to represent Hard Work, Independence and Goodness—perhaps now more than ever. And as catalysts for the advancement of agriculture, let’s continue to reflect these values both in our AdFarm brand and in the work we produce for our clients, albeit with a relentlessly creative edge.
One of my things I am most proud of as an AdFarmer is our agency-wide commitment to advancing agriculture. This has included a great deal of advocacy work, and atypical projects that bridge the communications gap between farmers and ranchers and the mass non-agricultural public.
Over the years, AdFarm has worked on some amazing projects that build these bridges. Since joining AdFarm, I’ve had the joy of working with initiatives that taught FFA Delegates, farmers, and agricultural professionals about the use of social media for outreach. We’ve helped bring together some of agriculture’s most outspoken advocates. We’re also proud to have partnered with groups like the California Agricultural Communications Coalition (CACC) to start agriculture advocacy programs, and to work alongside organizations like Ohio Pork Producers Council to help Bacon Farmers share their stories.
This Dodge Ram commercial featuring “God Made a Farmer” is a keen reminder of why we do what we do, and why my fellow AdFarmers and I are so proud to be a part of the agriculture industry.
Let’s work to do as the commercial suggests, and make 2013 the Year of the Farmer.