Krier

Nicole Krier
Criticism and Public Culture
Mary High
Fall 2014
Farmer and its American Way
When watching TV and a car commercial comes on, the average person can
probably say that theyre usually generally uninterested. Most of us either tune out or
change the channel. Many current car commercials feature a sleek car driving down a
highway while the commercial announcer highlights all the specialty features of that
car. Dodge Ram managed to do something different for their 2013 Super bowl
commercial. The commercial, titled Farmer, features a simple, yet timeless, collection
of rural photographs, some in color and some in black and white with a portion of
Harveys famous speech. The speech wraps up all the hard work farmers do, ending each
sentence with So God Made a Farmer. The commercial ends with a picture of a young
boy and Harvey saying the memorable line, Somebody who'd bale a family together
with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply
with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does.
"So God made a farmer." This commercial received the worldwide positive attention that
it did because of the wide-ranging and sentimental message it held that paid close detail
to both historical context of the speech, and the text itself. Employing the methods of
neo-classical criticism, Dodge Rams Farmer commercial is effective in
persuading and influencing its audience because of its use of a cherished historical

2 [Type text]
speech, the use of simple yet moving imagery and its connection to American values
and ideals.
First, I will analyze the historical context of this commercial. Farmer features the
notable speech So God Made a Farmer, first given by radio broadcaster Paul Harvey in
1978 at a Future Farmers of America convention. Harvey was an iconic news broadcaster
from the 1950s up until the 90s. Harvey was known for captivating American listeners
with his heart-warming tales and observations that evoked old-fashioned values, pride of
the heartland, and love of God and country. He even wrote and delivered his own
commercials, promoting only products that he trusted, which in turn made him a
marketing powerhouse. In 2006, Forbes.com quoted ABC saying Harvey accounted for
10 percent of the radio networks $300 million in advertising. In 2000, ABC was reported
to have given him $100 million and a 10-year contract extension (McFadden 1). Harvey
showed the American public that he could be trusted, creating ethos with them, which
essentially then gave Dodges Farmer commercial ethos. In an article published in
Language and Literature titles Voice, tone and the rhetoric of narrative communication,
the author describes how narrative commentators have recognized the importance of
being able to identify who speaks (author, narrator, character, etc.) because that answer
has consequences for perspective, authority, ethics, ideology, and much more (Phelan
52). This means that the author (Harvey) of the rhetoric (So God Made a Farmer
speech) influences how people feel about certain principles, morals etc. Harvey
influenced his viewers by giving them positive reinforcement about the American way
and the traditions our county holds.
Additionally, Dodge used this commercial to kickoff their campaign to raise money

Krier
for the Future Farmers of America, an organization whose mission is focused in
agriculture and feeding future generations (Welcome to the National FFA
Organization). Dodge Ram agreed to donate $100,000 for every 1,000,000 views that
the YouTube video of the commercial received up to $1,000,000. Not surprisingly, this
goal was reached in less than a week. The millions that have watched this can attest for
the emotional appeals this commercial has, which is what leads me to analyze this
commercial textually.
Looking at the text said in the speech itself, this commercial worked for Dodge
because it makes its audience feel reminiscent and proud, no matter what background.
Looking at the actual text and imagery of this ad, the ad succeeds to persuade its viewers
in an inimitable way. The ad does feature several trucks in a few of the rural pictures
shown, but always in a way that is appropriate with the picture. For example, one picture
depicts a man throwing bailed hay off the back of his truck. We are never flashed a huge
Dodge Ram symbol, nor are we bombarded with facts about the performance of a Dodge
truck. In an essay titled The Necessary Art of Persuasion, Jay Conger details how truly
effective persuasion works by saying, Persuasion does indeed involve moving people to
a position they dont currently hold, but not by begging or cajoling. Instead, it involves
careful preparation, the proper framing of arguments, the presentation of vivid supporting
evidence, and the effort to find the correct emotional match with your audience (1).
With proper presentation, Dodge Ram accomplished persuading their audience by
framing their product in a heartfelt and eloquent way. This commercial stands for the
working class of America and Dodge Ram found that emotional connection with its

4 [Type text]
audience. It makes us proud of where we came from, and the people who shaped our
country.
Furthermore, Dodge Ram appeals to its viewers through Ethos, or creating
trustworthiness. Dodge reminds us that they are more than just a car manufacturer. As
they boldly state on their website, When you're up at dawn and home after dark,
you need a tough, dependable, reliable, and efficient truck to help you get the job
done. From the farm to the job site to the weekend at the lake, a Ram truck is a
proven partner (The Next Crop Project). Dodge works to create trust and
dependability in their customers. In Faigley and Selzers Analyzing Written
Arguments, they explain the use of ethos through the article The Border Patrol State
by Leslie Silko. Just like Silko using ethos to connect herself to America by using
traditional values like ethnic pride and tolerance, Dodge Ram uses ethos to connect their
company to rural America by using traditional values like freedom, pride, and family
values shown throughout Farmer (161). Dodges motto of loyalty and reliability
combined with using Harveys iconic figure in American history helped broadcast
Dodges commercial in light of an Ethos appeal. Harveys voice reminds us of a
simpler time, his voice has the sound of the classic radio announcer. His voice is strong,
proud, and sure. Dodge Ram made a timeless commercial by using the simple narrative
of Harveys speech combined with pictures that sum up America and its heartland
values. Employing the methods of neo-classical criticism, Dodge Rams Farmer
commercial is effective in persuading and influencing its audience because of its use
of a cherished historical speech, the use of simple yet moving imagery and its
connection to American values and ideals.

Krier

Conger, Jay A. "The Necessary Art of Persuasion." Harvard Business

Review. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://hbr.org/1998/05/thenecessary-art-of-persuasion/ar/1>.
Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer. "Analyzing Written Arguments." Good
Reasons: Researching and Writing Effective Arguments. Fourth ed.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. 157-74. Print.
McFadden, Robert D. "Paul Harvey, Homespun Radio Voice of Middle
America, Is Dead at 90." The New York Times. The New York Times,
01 Mar. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/business/media/02harvey.html?pagewante
d=all&_r=1&>.

Phelan, James. "Voice, Tone, and the Rhetoric of Narrative

Communication." Language and Literature 23.1 (2014): 49-60.
Academic Search Elite. Web. 15 Oct. 2014.
"The Next Crop Project." Ram 2014. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/keepplowing/>.

"Welcome to the National FFA Organization." FFA. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct.
2014. <https://www.ffa.org/Pages/default.aspx>.