Autoblog

Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial

John Neff — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Marketing/Advertising, Ram

Chrysler may have the Super Bowl's most popular commercial for a third year in a row. Eminem and Eastwood helped it earn that distinction the last two years, and while Oprah did the voiceover for this year's Jeep ad, it's Chrysler's other spot that's in the running for Most Valuable Ad after the big game this year.

So where did the Ram brand's commercial about farmers come from? As it turns out, the ad appears to be inspired, shall we say, by a video produced by Farms.com that was uploaded to YouTube in June, 2011. Greg Mitchell of The Nation pointed out the similarities between the two in an article published this morning. The video uses the same speech given by famed radio broadcaster Paul Harvey played over a slideshow of farming images. It's the same concept as Ram's ad, though the truck brand did go out and commission its own images shot by very well-known photographers for its version.

Did Ram steal the idea? That does not appear to be the case. A message left on the Farms.com YouTube video says "Farms.com is pleased to be working with Ram Trucks and support the 'Farmer' Super Bowl commercial." When you play the video, a link even pops up to watch Ram's version.

We called the agency responsible for the ad, The Richards Group, for comment, and were referred to Chrysler. We have yet to hear back, but will update this post as soon as we do. You can watch the Farms.com video for yourself below, as well as the Ram ad, and we've mashed the two together in this doubled-up version you can watch here.

Continue reading Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial

Watch the video that inspired Ram's Farmer Super Bowl commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How this summer's drought might affect your car's gasoline

Chris Tutor — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

In 2007, then-president George Bush signed a law that required increased production of ethanol. Swelling ethanol demand for fuel combined with this past summer's drought has driven the price of corn (used to make ethanol) up. In fact, prices have swollen some 400 percent in the last seven years. That's comforting for corn growers, who are dealing with much smaller yields than normal. But it's not comforting for livestock producers, poultry farmers and grocery shoppers.

Under the law, the amount of ethanol used in gasoline is supposed to increase to 15.2 billion gallons this year, up from five billion in 2007. The Environmental Protection Agency can decide to delay the increase, however, and it has until Tuesday to consider the circumstances. According to The Detroit News, governors from eight states have asked the EPA to waive the ethanol requirements to prevent corn prices from going any higher. They join almost 200 members of Congress, top United Nations officials, two dozen scientists and scores of poultry farmers in opposing the boost in ethanol production. Governors of poultry-producing states Maryland and Delaware say without a waiver, thousands of jobs could be lost.

On the other side are corn-producing states and the farmers who live there. They argue a waiver would harm their agricultural income and, in turn, harm their state economies.

If a waiver is granted, gas formulations might not be affected at all. E10 gasoline (10-percent ethanol) would still be sold at fuel stations across the nation, but an increase in ethanol production would be delayed. If a waiver is not granted, corn growers will see a demand in their product. And since all that new ethanol has to go somewhere, drivers may see more pumps serving ~~E20~~ E15 gasoline (20 15-percent ethanol) which cannot be used in pre-2001 vehicles.

How this summer's drought might affect your car's gasoline originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GMO crops so tough that farmers are turning to Kevlar tractor tires

Chris Tutor — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Technology, Work

Farming is one of the most difficult ways to earn a living. You'd think that with all the innovations mankind has developed over the centuries, we could make farmers' lives easier. But as it turns out, sometimes miracles of modern science make things tougher. Literally.

Take genetically modified organisms (GMO) for instance. For now, let's ignore the controversy over its safety, usefulness and ethical issues. The main issue for those guys actually growing and harvesting the stuff is much more practical. As it turns out, corn modified to stand tall and tough against pests is also wreaking havoc on tractor tires.

Mark Newhall of Farm Show Magazine tells American Public Media's Marketplace that after the stalks are cut during harvest, the leftover stubs are like "having a field of little spears."

So instead of tractor tires lasting the usual five to six years, they're getting chewed up after just one or two years. One tractor tire can cost thousands of dollars, and some tractors have as many as eight tires.

How does a modern farmer fight back against a genetically modified enemy intent on destroying the very thing his business rides on? The same way our military defends against its enemies: Kevlar. While these augmented tractor tires can't be cheap, they should at least outlast their thin-skinned counterparts.

The use of Kevlar in tires might seem extravagant, but in fact it's very appropriate. The material was invented in 1964 by DuPont during its search for a strong, lightweight material for, you guessed it, tires.

Take a listen to Marketplace's story with the player below.

GMO crops so tough that farmers are turning to Kevlar tractor tires originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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