An iconic radio voice took the cake, as Dodge Ram’s “Farmer” spot with Paul Harvey as the v/o was the highest-rated commercial during Super Bowl XLVII according to ADBOWL, the original advertising ranking website for consumers developed in 2002 by McKee Wallwork & Company.
It wasn’t flashy or filled with special effects, but Dodge Ram’s Super Bowl spot featuring the late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey’s tribute to U.S. farmers won the hearts and minds of viewers Sunday night.
The two-minute spot featured a series of stark photos of farmers at work. Along with a montage of still images, Harvey’s distinctive voice delivers the narration: his “So God Made a Farmer” speech, which he gave in 1978 at the National Future Farmers of America Convention. He died in 2009 at age 90.
The Ram Truck brand commissioned 10 noted photographers including National Geographic icon William Albert Allard and renowned documentary photographer Kurt Markus to document American farm life, yielding a beautiful and comprehensive catalog of farming images. Many of these artful and compelling still images provide the visual mosaic for “Farmer;” Harvey’s passionate oration provides the narration.
In this latest extension of the brand’s Guts, Glory, Ram campaign, the video uses slices of farming life to remind us of our shared identity and character, the greatness born out of perseverance and determination and the rewards that come from hard work.
“Farmer” was created in partnership with The Richards Group/Dallas. See it here:
The spot immediately set Twitter ablaze, with viewers registering their overwhelmingly positive reaction to the commercial.
The Ram brand has declared 2013 the year of the farmer, and is kicking off a year of programs dedicating to highlighting the importance of farmers.
As of 11:00 p.m. MT, the top 5 ads as ranked by ADBOWL voters on a five point scale were:
1 Ram Truck: Farmer 4.2121
2 Tide: Miracle Stain 4.1356
3 Budweiser: The Clydesdales – Brotherhood 3.9735
4 Coca-Cola: Security Camera 3.6047
5 Kia: Space Babies 3.5926
ADBOWL Winners 2002-2012:
2012 – Volkswagen’s “Dog Strikes Back”
2011 – Volkswagen’s “Imperial March”
2010 – Snickers’ “You’re Not You”
2009 – Bridgestone’s “Taters”
2008 – Budweiser’s “Clydesdale Team”
2007 – Bud Light’s “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
2006 – Bud Light’s “Hidden Fridge”
2005 – Anheuser-Busch’s “Applause”
2004 – Budweiser’s “Donkey Dream”
2003 – FedEx’s “Castaway”
2002 – M&M’s “Chocolate on Your Pillow”
