Krier

Nicole Krier
Criticism and Public Culture
Mary High
Fall 2014
Farmer and its American Way
While watching TV and a car commercial comes on, the average person can
probably say that theyre usually generally uninterested and either tune out or change the
channel. Most 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 neoclassical criticism, Dodge Rams Farmer commercial is effective in persuading and
influencing its audience because of its connection to American values and ideals, its use
of a cherished historical speech, and the use of simple yet moving imagery.

2 [Type text]
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 gave Farmer its 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
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

Krier
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
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. In

4 [Type text]
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).
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 values. Employing the methods of neo-classical criticism, Dodge Rams
Farmer commercial is effective in persuading and influencing its audience because of
its connection to American values and ideals, its use of a cherished historical speech, and
the use of simple yet moving imagery.

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.

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