AUBURN HILLS, Mich.,
Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
- More than 18 million views as of Feb.
14 of two-minute 'Farmer' video inspired by stirring 'So God
Made a Farmer' tribute delivered decades ago by legendary radio
broadcaster Paul Harvey and
featuring all original photography
- Ram Truck to donate $1 million to
National FFA Organization; takes less than one week to surpass
viewing goals established to reach desired $1 million donation amount
- Funds raised go to FFA programs geared toward fighting hunger
in communities across the country
- Ram Truck brand planning next phase of year-long 'The Year of
the Farmer' initiative including book of photographs shining
spotlight on the contributions of American farm families
The Ram Truck brand pledged to make a donation to the National
FFA Organization for every view of its two-minute "Farmer" Super
Bowl video on the brand's website, with the intent of generating
$1 million.
It took less than a week to reach the 10 million view milestone
equating to the $1 million donation.
As of Feb. 14, the "Farmer" video has
been viewed more than 18 million times at
www.ramtrucks.com/keepplowing and
www.youtube.com/ramtrucks and millions of more times on other
sites.
"The compelling images in the video of America's heartland mated
with Harvey's 'So God Made a Farmer' words resonated with viewers
nationwide," said Olivier Francois,
Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. "We set out to create
a call-to-action to support farmers and to recognize their place as
the foundation of the American character and are gratified with the
dialog the video sparked."
"'Farmer' is about having America appreciate everything that
farmers and farm families do on a daily basis and captures the hard
work, determination and character of the farmer in all of us," said
Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram
Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico. "We are so pleased and excited that
this has touched the hearts and souls of so many people in a
positive way."
The video also launched the Ram Truck brand's 2013 "The Year of
the Farmer" campaign aimed at bringing national attention to the
significance of the American farmer. The brand enhances its
long-standing partnership with the National FFA Organization
(formerly known as Future Farmers of America) with this year-long,
multi-tiered initiative. Together with agricultural equipment
manufacturer Case IH, Farms.com and other brand partners, Ram set
out to raise awareness and generate funds for FFA hunger relief
efforts in local communities across America.
"Ram scored a major win for American agriculture and our
producers and ranchers with its 'Farmer' Super Bowl commercial and
has sharply elevated the image of agriculture in the public's
mind," said National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. "This highly successful
partnership with Ram through the National FFA Foundation has
generated $1 million of new support
for FFA that will be utilized to drive our 'Feeding the
World-Starting at Home' initiative and other programs that will
benefit our nearly 560,000 FFA members in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands."
The "Farmer" video was inspired by the stirring "So God Made a
Farmer" tribute delivered by legendary radio broadcaster
Paul Harvey and used as a national
anthem in grassroots videos created by farm families. To honor
American farmers, the Ram Truck brand set out to create even
greater awareness, support and appreciation for farming families,
communities and providers. The brand commissioned 10 noted
photographers 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 the
video; Harvey's passionate oration provides the narration.
The photographers shot images throughout the United States over the course of 25 days
with 35 still photographs used in the video. Many more of the
commissioned images will appear in a book the Ram Truck brand plans
to publish later this year, creating a beautiful and comprehensive
collection of original agriculture, farming and family farm
photography. The book will provide a broad view of the agricultural
community and lifestyle. Ram will contribute a portion of book
proceeds to agriculture and hunger related efforts across the
country.
Additional details and timing for the book are still being
finalized.
About Ram Truck Brand
The Ram Truck brand
continues to establish its own identity and clearly define its
customer since its launch as a standalone vehicle brand. Creating a
distinct brand for Ram trucks has allowed the brand to concentrate
on how core customers use their trucks and what new features they'd
like to see. Whether focusing on a family that uses its half-ton
truck day in and day out, a hard-working Ram Heavy Duty owner or a
business that depends on its commercial vehicles every day, Ram has
the truck market covered.
The Ram Truck brand has the most innovative lineup of full-size
trucks on the market. Ram Truck has emerged as a full-size truck
leader by investing substantially in new products, infusing them
with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features
that further enhance their capabilities. Truck customers, from
half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require
their vehicles to provide high levels of capability. Ram trucks are
designed to deliver a total package.
About Case IH
Case IH is a global leader in
agricultural equipment, committed to collaborating with its
customers to develop the most powerful, productive, reliable
equipment – designed to meet today's agricultural challenges.
Challenges like feeding an expanding global population on less
land, meeting ever-changing government regulations and managing
input costs. With headquarters in the
United States, Case IH has a network of dealers and
distributors that operates in over 160 countries. Case IH provides
agricultural equipment systems, flexible financial service
offerings and parts and service support for professional farmers
and commercial operators through a dedicated network of
professional dealers and distributors. Productivity enhancing
products include tractors; combines and harvesters; hay and forage
equipment; tillage tools; planting and seeding systems; sprayers
and applicators; site-specific farming tools and utility vehicles.
Case IH is a brand of CNH (NYSE: CNH), a majority-owned subsidiary
of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. (FI.MI).
About The National FFA Organization
The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of
557,318 student members as part of 7,498 local FFA chapters in all
50 states, Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is
to make a positive difference in the lives of students by
developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth
and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA
Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st
United States Congress and it is an integral part of public
instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education
provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to
state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit
the National FFA Organization online at www.FFA.org, on Facebook,
Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.
SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC
