Paul Harvey, narrator of the Dodge "Farmer" commercial, delivered his speech "So God Made a Farmer" in the late 70s on a radio broadcasting network. However, the speech popped back up again during a Super Bowl commercial advertising Dodge trucks. Full of heavy Christian references and dramatic statements reflecting the hardships farmers across the nation face everyday, the commercial really stood out amongst the other advertisements that aired before and after. Dodge successfully managed to put together a commercial that both advertises their product but also is able to tell a story through the narrative and intense imagery. Dodge's message is pretty clear: if our trucks can keep up with farmers, then our trucks can do anything. 

America's truck has always been Ford or Chevrolet, especially on farms. On my family's farm, there was also a Ford in the driveway or out in the fields. Farmers have relied on Ford products for many years, and continue to do so today. Dodge has to be able to compete with every other company to win over more potential buyers. So Dodge had to put together a piece that would appeal to people who work with their hands, and especially those who work on or around a farming environment. Real hardworking men and women need real hardworking trucks and Dodge offers their merchandise to supply the need. 

Religion and specifically God play a huge part throughout the commercial. For example, Harvey states "On the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said 'I need a caretaker' ... So God created a farmer". Farmers are relied on by millions of people everyday, and they themselves rely on God during harvest season for plentiful crops. However, the farmers also turn to God after a failed harvest and ask to see a better future ahead. Farmers need reliable and sturdy vehicles to haul feed and seed and to pull their neighbors from a bog, and Dodge trucks can be viewed as reliable. For if God fails the farmer, the farmer fails the people. 

Still shots were not posed and actors were not assigned to play the roles of farmers and farmhands; the viewers are presented with real life men and women who work long hours, day in and day out, and never once complain. They just wake up at the crack of dawn, work all day, and go to bed long after everyone else is tucked in for the night. The wear and tear of the job is shown on the wrinkled and wearied faces, the callused and dirty hands, and the pride a farmer broadcasts out to the world. That is just the life of the farmer. There is joy and satisfaction yes, but there is also hardship, pain, and at times there is loss. 

Harvey's narrative describes what a farmer encounters daily, and that's not even the half of it. Some commercials that advertise cars, especially sports or luxury cars make the viewer feel inferior, or like they could never be on the same social level as the actor driving fast in something worth tens of thousands of dollars. The Dodge commercial, with its everyday folk and simplistic structure makes viewers feel good and on equal grounds. They too can own a Dodge truck and be able to enjoy the vehicle with its trustworthiness and reliability. 

Being the granddaughter and the great-granddaughter of farmers, this commercial obviously stood out to me. Both the narrative and the photos fully represent similar stories I heard growing up. From an early age, I knew about all the aspects that made up my grandfather's farm and I learned at an early age some of the tricks of the trade. For example, my grandfather once lifted his head to the sky and inhaled deeply and asked me "do you smell that? That's the smell of the moisture in the air" and to this day, the scent is both familiar and comforting. Farming runs in my blood, and I am extremely proud of all the farmers who still work in the industry now. It's a difficult job but someone has to do it, and I'm glad to know some people who provide my family and hundreds of others with food for our tables.  

There is no thrills or frills in the commercial, just simple yet inspirational photos depicting everyday America. No catchy upbeat tunes or dancing rodents to grab the attention of everyone watching, just ordinary people performing their extraordinary jobs. At the very end of the commercial, for the farmer in us all is broadcasted across the screen, and Dodge is trying to allow the ordinary people to experience what the farmers experience; ordinary folks can now lug around hay bales and feed cows from the bed of the truck. Dodge's commercial has a way of letting viewers become a part of an exclusive world by broadcasting the work millions of average Americans do each day. And as an added bonus, the company is trying to sell their products to people who want to bring out the "farmer in us all". 

