Ag’s Super Bowl Surprise

In recent years, the second half of the Super Bowl has been one-sided, and many viewers have lost interest. Not this year. A power surge, a close score, and an agriculture commercial have made this year's Super Bowl the talk of the farming community.

A Ram Trucks spot featured "So God Made a Farmer," presented by legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey at the 1978 National FFA Convention.

The spot launches a campaign that declares 2013 "The Year of the Farmer" and starts a greater support of FFA. RAM will contribute up to $1 million to the National FFA Foundation based on the views of the video (watching the above video counts) and activity on the website. The bulk of the new funding will be dedicated to supporting the FFA hunger initiative, "Feeding the World-Starting at Home." (See Illinois Farm Bureau's support of FFA.)

Case IH, one of IFB's member discounts, is teaming up with its sister company, Ram, in this pro-farm, pro-FFA effort.

When a 30-second commercial during this year's Super Bowl costs as much as $4 million, this two-minute ad was quite an investment. It may have paid off, though. The farming community has expressed its appreciation. By the time this page was posted (9 hours after the commercial aired,) more than 14,000 people "liked" the Ram's Facebook post of the commercial and more than 6,600 people "shared" it. (IFB was one of them.)

"This commercial may have been made to speak and sell to farmers, not the general public," said IFB's Promotions Manager Mary Ellen Fricke. "But during a game where a blackout took center stage, it's nice to know a little light may have been shed on the dedication and passion found on America's family farms."