I didn't watch the superbowl, but this Dodge ad is one of the finest commercials I've seen since John Hilcoat's Levi's commercial a few years back (see it here) . . .
Whatever politicized dust up has occurred since its airing, the "Farmer" meditation is poetry. Yes, it is Lovemark 101 ("Lovemarks reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without. Ever."), but it's poetry nonetheless.
The subtle movement added to the still frames is haunting. The voice over—admittedly the weakest link in the production— is nostalgic without venturing (too far) into the sentimental. The riskier move would have been to allow the images to stand on their own accompanied by a brutally moving Max Richter score . . . but alas!
This is advertising working at its best . . . like Van Gogh's A Pair of Shoes (1886) there is an ever constant movement/exchange/negotiation of meaning throughout the commercial that keeps it from becoming simply trite propaganda.
It's truthful, meaningful, and I can't get it out of me . . . what are your thoughts on the matter?
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