Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Thesis
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in
the Graduate School of The Ohio State University
By
2014
2014
2
Abstract
1982, and has since become a multi billion-dollar business (Spurlock, 2011). Although
agricultural companies are not likely to pay for screen time in films because they have
such a small share of the general advertising market in the United States and typically
advertise using print advertisements, agricultural products are still present on the silver
screen when the plot of the film is agriculturally based. With the agricultural industry
only directly connected to less than two percent of the population of the United States
who live on farms (EPA's Ag Center, 2012), these products are only relevant to a few
cinemas annually attract more people than attendance to theme parks and major United
States sports combined (MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL), in 2011 more than two-thirds of
the population of the United States and Canada attended a movie at least once, and in
2012 alone the United States film industry grossed more than nine billion dollars (Motion
Picture Association of America, Inc. , 2011) (The Numbers, 2012). Because of the high
viewing rate and marketing power of films, it is logical to analyze the agricultural brands
present in films to determine which films are marketing the American pastoral image and
which companies are reaping the benefits of free marketing services to millions of
consumers. This study analyzed over 40 films from the past 25 years to determine how 26
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agriculturally based brands were placed in the films from varying genres, ratings and
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Dedication
For my parents, David and Susan Beam, for always believing and encouraging me to
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to all those who have made this study possible, your assistance has
v
Vita
Internships
Work Experiences
2012 to present ……………….. Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University
Fields of Study
vi
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………………………………. v
Definitions ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
vii
Research
Design
…………………………………………………………………………………….
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viii
List of Tables
Table 4.1. Brands are listed with the films the brands appeared in along with the length of
Table 4.2. Table 4.2 lists the films in chronological order providing the rating and genre
Table 4.3. Films studied are listed chronologically and each film's box office rank,
production company and number of theatres shown in are included. ………. 53
Table 4.4. Films are listed with earnings generated, box office opening date, and running
time. ……………………………………………………………………………. 55
Table 4.5. Actors who were in multiple films studied are listed with the films they
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List of Figures
Figure 4.1. Bobby Boucher, portrayed by Adam Sandler, shown in the right foreground,
approaches the John Deere mower featured in The Waterboy (Coraci, 1998)
Figure 4.2. Ray Kinsella and his daughter, Karin, ride on the John Deere 8640 during the
film Field of Dreams (Robinson, 1989) (Internet Movie Cars Database, 2012). ..
…………………………………………………………………………………... 45
Figure 4.3. Crawl operates the Massey Ferguson 8460 with ease while learning to
become a farmer in Son In Law (Rash, 1993) (Internet Movie Cars Database,
2014). …………………………………………………………………………... 46
Figure 4.4. The farmer and his family emerge from the storm cellar at the end of Twister.
Notice the farmer's hat, which features the Pioneer Seed logo (de Bont, 1996). …
…………………………………………………………………………………... 48
Figure 4.5. Fern, portrayed by Dakota Fanning and wearing a 4-H shirt, holds Wilbur
while admiring Charlotte's newest web in Charlotte's Web (Winick, 2006). ….. 50
Figure 5.1. Funny Farm poster shows Chevy Chase and Yellow Dog riding on a Wheel
Horse lawn mower, which is featured for 18 seconds in the film (Hill, Funny
Figure 5.4. John Deere produced a 1/16 model toy tractor of the 2640 tractor driven
by Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams (Robinson, Field of Dreams, 1989) (Ebay,
Figure 6.1. Ace Hi Feed logo (Manchester Feeds, Inc., 2010). ..………………………. 86
Figure 6.2. The modern logo for the Carhartt company (Carhartt, 2014). ..…………… 87
Figure 6.3. Although the Castrol logo has changed since 1909, this is the 2012 version of
Figure 6.5. The Cub Cadet logo is correlated with the company colors: yellow, white and
Figure 6.7. The USDA logo (National Agricultural Library, 2014). ……………….….. 91
Figure 6.8. Farmall logo featured on many tractors (Wisconsin Historical Society, 2014).
…………………………………………………………………………………... 92
Figure 6.9. International Harvester logo, prior to the merger with Case in 1985 (Koenig
Figure 6.10. The FFA emblem (National FFA Organization, 2014). ………………..… 93
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Figure 6.11. Ford Tractor logo, featured on tractor models from the 1950s (Ganzel,
2007). …………………………………………………………………………... 94
Figure 6.12. The John Deere logo, which was last updated in 2000, features a leaping
deer. Previous logos used a landing deer (John Deere, 2014). ………………… 95
Figure 6.13. Justin Boots logo, as shown on their website (Justin Boots, 2014). ……… 96
Figure 6.14. Kent Feeds remains a family owned company after 87 years of operation
Figure 6.15. Kenworth trucks are designed for optimum driver comfort and efficiency
Figure 6.16. The Komatsu logo was previously a "little pine tree," but was changed in the
late 1990s to the current logo (Komatsu America Corporation, 2014). …………99
Figure 6.17. In 1932, the first bulldog adorned the hood of a Mack truck (Mack Trucks,
Figure 6.18. The current Massey Ferguson logo (Massey Ferguson, 2012). …………. 101
Figure 6.19. The New Holland logo, as shown on the corporate website (New Holland,
Figure 6.20. Pioneer Seed is part of the DuPont Corporation (DuPont Pioneer, 2014). …
…………………………………………………………………………………. 103
Figure 6.21. Quality Seeds Ltd. provides a wide variety of seeds and plant services
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Figure 6.22. In the 1980s there were large marketing campaigns for the REAL Seal,
Figure 6.23. The Red Wing Shoe company produces work shoes for both men and
Figure 6.24. Snapper products are all painted "Snapper red" and the company makes
push, riding and zero turn mowers, as well as snow blowers and other outdoor
equipment (Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, LLC, 2014). …………. 106
Figure 6.25. This version of the Versatile logo was released in 2008 (Buhler Versatile
Figure 6.26. The Wheel Horse logo, as shown on the Wheel Horse Collectors Club
Figure 6.27. The White Farm Equipment Company's logo before being purchased by
Figure 6.28. The 4-H emblem is a representation of the youth organization's brand
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Chapter 1: Introduction
In 1927, a silent film called Wings won an Oscar for Best Picture, and with its
success came the acknowledgement of the first featured product placement, a Hershey’s
bar (Bukszpan, 2011). Product placement continued in the film industry, but it was not
until the early 1980s, when it began to exponentially expand with the use of Reese’s
Today, the leading brand featured in movie product placement is Ford, having
been placed in films 158 times (Brand Cameo, 2012). Ford is followed in frequency of
2012).
marketing tool for agricultural companies to put their products in films. Agricultural
products, however, still make their way to the big screen when the plot of a movie is, or
partially is, agriculturally based. Product placement, whether it is paid for by the
positive manner.
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As less than two percent of the population of the United States is directly involved
in agriculture, the majority of the population of moviegoers does not know if the
(EPA's Ag Center, 2012). The United States film industry grossed more than nine billion
to increase profitability of films (The Numbers, 2012) (Spurlock, 2011). Therefore, this
research study will examine a selection of films that focus around the agricultural
communicators may know more about the content being shown in film to audiences who
identity, which is usually how the non-agricultural viewer sees the agricultural industry -
radio programming and advertisements are popular marketing tools for selling products.
Product placement can help or hurt a brand’s successfulness when shown to a large
enough audience. As more American’s are adopting digital video recording technology
(DVR), advertisers are turning to product placement in film to promote their products,
because consumers cannot skip the commercials in a film or television program if they
are built into the story line (Spurlock, 2011). Therefore, what agricultural brands and
products are placed in films? How are the brands represented? Do agricultural brands
industry?
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Purpose of Study
In 2012, there were 677 films released with over 39,000 movie theatres in the
United States for consumers to patronize (Motion Picture Association of America, 2012).
This study is needed because of the enormous power films have to influence viewers
perceptions about a subject, whether fact or fiction. Product placement can either help or
hurt an industry, as with the success of Ray-Ban Sunglasses and market stunting for
should be aware of the content movie-viewing individuals are seeing and retaining from
films, which will ultimately influence their opinion on the brands associated with the
develop public relations strategies, and form public policies. Agricultural communicators
understand that all communication about the agricultural industry may not come from
those who are adequately informed or portray the correct image, and therefore they must
The purpose of this study is to determine how agricultural brands are featured in
films, including their prominence in the film and the frequency of the brand appearance.
3. How are the agricultural brands positioned in the film (Is the brand name clearly
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4. Are there trends between the films in which the agricultural brands appeared?
5. Are there trends with the actors or actresses who appear in the popular films that
Definitions
To narrow the selection of films for this study, a definition of agriculture must be
is “the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising
livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting
products”(pg. 26.). To accurately answer the research questions, the definition provided
is too vague. Most modern movies feature only a small portion of the film to show
Therefore, agriculture shall be defined, for this research question, as any and all
aspects of agricultural or rural lifestyle. Including, but not limited to: crop production,
livestock production, county and state fairs, food safety practices, food production and
spraying, and harvesting a crop of any nature, and marketing such commodities to a
market. Livestock production shall include all animals kept for either profit or pleasure
and the practice of animal husbandry skills. County and State Fairs should be
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representative of either crop or livestock production, 4-H or FFA practices or annual rural
consumer. Food safety, food production and preparation may be considered agriculture
food and consumption. Food will not be considered agriculture when it is representative
transformed into another product for an intended use. For an agricultural byproduct to be
considered agriculture in film, it must be clear to the viewer where the agricultural
for consideration as agriculture in this study, would be ethanol and ethanol production
from corn.
store, are representative of the agricultural industry, however these brands are
commonplace items that any grocery shopper would recognize. Agriculturally based
companies, such as John Deere, Case IH, Tractor Supply Company and Purina Feeds will
The term rural can refer to a broad meaning in the United States. Depending upon
how rural is defined; portions of U.S. populations can be considered rural areas anywhere
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Definitions range from the use, whether it is for administrative purposes or economic
development; however, rural areas are closely associated with populations under 10,000
people (Cromartie & Bucholtz, 2008). For the purpose of this study, rural will be defined
as any area which features an abundance of farming imagery, as well as small towns or
villages.
However, for this research project, product placement will be synonymous with product
appearance, as it is unlikely all of the agricultural brands that appear in the films would
pay for an appearance. Therefore, any placement of an agricultural brand or product will
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Chapter 2: Review of Literature
For this study, films from the past 25 years were analyzed to determine the
presence of agricultural brands within the film content. Agricultural communicators need
to be aware of the presence of agricultural brands within popular media outlets because of
the large audience in the United States who are not educated or directly related to
production agriculture (EPA's Ag Center, 2012). The film industry generates billions of
dollars in revenue each year, and with over 39,000 movie theatres in the United States,
there is ample opportunity for film viewers throughout the United States and the world to
be exposed to the images represented through films (Box Office Mojo, 2013: Motion
related topics to this study. The related topics included in this literature review are:
Cultivation Theory
Cultivation Theory, defined as medium (film) that shapes the public’s perspective
of a social reality, guides this study. “Cultivation refers to the long-term formation of
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perceptions and beliefs about the world as a result of exposure to the media” (Potter,
1993, p. 564).
Primarily used for television studies, cultivation theory has been used to evaluate
the effects of television viewing on people’s perceptions and values (Werner & Tankard,
Jr. , 2001). Cultivation is the establishment of a common worldview, common roles, and
common values through repetitive messages (Werner & Tankard, Jr. , 2001). The theory
looks for trends in mass media and programming to be reflected onto the views of the
receiver of the message. For instance, individuals who watch a large amount of law
enforcement television shows believe the crime rate is much higher in the United States
than it actually is, therefore the viewers believe the fictional representations given to
them from television and movies (Werner & Tankard, Jr. , 2001).
the cultivation effect. This is because with higher consumption of television media, the
viewers have an increased amount of information to form opinions and beliefs. Hetsroni
and Tukachinsky also state the effect of cultivation theory does not disappear when
demographic and consumption variables of other media are controlled (Hetsroni &
Tukachinsky, 2006).
circumvent literacy issues with viewers and the abundant quantity of televisions to watch
programming from (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, & Shanahan, Growing Up With
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Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, & Shanahan, Growing Up With Television: Cultivation
that serve to define the world and legitimize a particular social order” (Gerbner, Gross,
2002, p. 44). Establishing what the norms of television are as a reflection of modern
diverse publics” (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, & Shanahan, Growing Up With
average home in the United States a television is on for “about seven hours a day”
Cultivation Process, 2002, p. 45). According to a study conducted by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development, the life expectancy for the average American
citizen was 78.7 years in 2011 (Huffington Post, 2013). Given this information, the
programming during their lifespan, which is roughly 22.95 years of the average lifespan.
throughout the United States, patterns emerge in the “settings, casting, social typing,
actions, and related outcomes that cuts across most program types and defines the world
of television” (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, Living with Television: The
Dynamics of the Cultivation Process, 1986, p. 19). Due to the variety of programming
numerous other topics (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, Living with Television:
Product Placement
Looking though the lens of cultivation theory it is easy to see how repetitive
product placement can have similar effects. An example of such a success story is
Reese’s Pieces in Stephen Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg’s E.T. used
the candy in a pivotal scene and as a result the profits from the candy increased 65
percent (Bukszpan, 2011). Since the success of Reese’s Pieces in 1982, product
placement has become common place in modern film production as both a promotional
films feature multiple brands throughout the progression of the story being told, the first
Sex in the City film featured over 65 brands, and in the latest James Bond installment,
Skyfall, the majority of the film’s $200 million dollar production costs were covered by
the multiple product placements from BMW, Coke, Heineken, Omega watches, Sony and
Ray-Ban is an example of a brand that has thrived from the use of product
placement as a primary advertisement strategy. Army Air Corps pilots and General
Douglas MacArthur first popularized Ray-Ban sunglasses during World War II.
However, Ray-Ban was a struggling brand by 1982, selling only 18,000 pairs of
sunglasses during that year. In an effort to save the company during its period of
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declining popularity, Ray-Ban signed a contract with Unique Product Placement for
$50,000 per year to have Ray-Ban products placed in entertainment media beginning in
1982 (Leinster, 1987). The following year (1983), Tom Cruise sported Ray-Ban’s
pairs (Leinster, 1987). In 1984, Ray-Ban products were featured in the Miami Vice
television series increasing sales to 720,000 pairs, in 1985 Bruce Willis wore Ray-Bans
in the television series Moonlighting increasing sales to 826,000 pairs, and finally in 1987
Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses in the film Top Gun which skyrocketed
placement would be the wine industry, specifically producers of Merlot. In the movie
Sideways, Paul Giamatti’s character refuses to consume Merlot. This action caused “The
Sideways Effect”, in which the sales of Merlot dropped for a period of time after the
placement was Warner Bros use of a knock-off Louis Vuitton bag in the Hangover II,
which resulted in Louis Vuitton suing Warner Bros for causing “consumer confusion”
and falsely representing the brand (Milligan, 2012, p. 3). The case was dismissed in 2012,
because the judge stated the claims from Louis Vuitton “were ‘not plausible’ or
Not all products placed in film are cleverly disguised to seem as though the
product is a natural occurrence, but rather it is an ostentatious advertisement sold with the
purchase of a movie ticket. In the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby, Moët &
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Chandon champagne is gaudily featured by having showgirls hold larger-than-life bottles,
which not only contain the advertised beverage, but also shower the partygoers with
confetti (Grey, 2013). In Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler’s character advertises for
Subway by going to one of their restaurants, eating a sandwich, and giving the food chain
Some companies receive advertisement from films for free through product
placement. AOL did not pay for product placement in the 1998 film You’ve Got Mail, nor
did White Castle in the 2004 comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Kroll, 2013,
p. 5 and 7). Google was recently featured in The Internship (2013), where Google’s
campus, driverless car, Google+ and a plethora of other Google related products were
featured. Google was involved in the production of the film, but had no investment in the
production of the film (Kroll, 2013). Apple is by far the most frequent product placed in
film, and Apple is able to achieve this by using free product placement in exchange for
goods (Brand Cameo, 2012: Stampler, 2012). PQ Media conducted a study in 2005,
“which found that 64 percent of products placed in films or TV shows are not paid for,
but rather arranged through some kind of barter in which the show provides exposure in
In some cases, product placement in film can give a brand more consumer
recognition than any other form of advertisement could provide. Suntory Whisky was the
by Suntory Whisky had featured Sean Connery and Keanu Reeve; “however, Masaki
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that the placement gave the product a much higher profile than it ever got from television
or print ads” (Bukszpan, 2011, p. 8). Since appearing in Lost in Translation, Suntroy
Whisky has purchased Beam for $13.9 billion (The Associated Press, 2014). Beam is the
producer of Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark whiskey (The Associated Press, 2014).
Thomas Edison is probably best known for the his inventions of the Edison
lightbulb and automatic telegraph; however, he was also one of the pioneering forefathers
of the modernday film industry (Aquino & Sterbenz, 2014) (Biagi, 2010) (Acheson &
Maule, 1991). Edison, along with Ètienne Jules Marey, Eadweard Muybridge, William
K.L. Dickson, and Auguste and Louise Lumière are know as the inventors of the earliest
forms of viedo cameras and projectors (Biagi, 2010). Film began as a series of
kinetoscop. “On April 11, 1894, America’s first kinetoscope parlor opened in New York
City. For 25 cents, people could see 10 different 90-second black-and-white films,
including Trapese, Horse Shoeing, Wrestlers, and Roosters” (Biagi, 2010, p. 137).
Agriculture is historically one of the earliest film features in the United States, with the
French filmmaker, magician and caricaturist Georges Mèliés changed the course
of film history in 1902 when he released A Trip to the Moon, which was the first
outerspace cinematic adventure (Biagi, 2010). A Trip to the Moon entertained audinces
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with imaginary space monsters. A trend which quickly migrated to the United States,
Sound technology in conjuntion with film became possible in 1927. The Warner
Brothers, Sam, Harry, Jack and Albert, produced the first film to have sound, called The
Jazz Singer (Biagi, 2010). By 1933, less than one percent of films shown nationwide
were silent films, as they had adopted the technology to incorporate sound in almost all
films. In 1937, Walt Disney premeired Snow White, which cost $2.25 million, and was
Film popularity decreased after 1948 due to the home television becoming widely
popular in the United States (Biagi, 2010). “In the 1950s, the number of television sets
people owned grew by 400 percent, while the number of people who went to the movies
fell by 45 percent” (Biagi, 2010, p. 142). Because of the increased competition in the
technology in the 1950s, such as widescreen and the beginnings of 3-D movies (Biagi,
2010).
The best year in American film history was 1946, because theatres sold more than
four billion tickets (Biagi, 2010). “Today, as more people watch more movies on video
and DVD, the number of theatre admissions has dropped to about one billion” (Biagi,
2010, p. 134). In an effort to have a stable income in today’s society, “half of the movies
produced every year are made for television and are underwritten by the TV networks”
(Biagi, 2010, p. 136). In fact, movie industry revenue comes from three sources: TV and
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in-flight programming provides 48 percent, home video provides 38 percent and the box
Agriculture in America
The agricultural sector in the United States is big business, in 2007 the market
value of products sold from American farms was $297 billion (United States Department
of Agriculture: Economic Research Service, 2013). While farm families make up less
than two percent of the population in the United States, there are more than 21 million
American workers (15 percent of the total U.S. workforce) who produce, process and
market the agricultural products made in the United States (American Farm Bureau
Federation, 2013). In 2010, $115 billion worth of agricultural products were exported
around the world form the United States; in fact, the United States has a positive
agricultural trade balance because the nation exports more agricultural products than are
Of the 2.2 million farms in the United States, 97 percent of those farms are
Bureau Federation, 2013). Of these farms, report show that a white male principal
operator operates 1.83 million, while there are 306,209 female principal operators and
roughly eight percent of farms are operated by non-white operators (United States
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In 2007, there were 687,540 cattle farms, 18,605 cotton farms, 57,318 dairy
farms, 25,017 berry farms, 479,467 grain farms, 30,546 swine farms, 145,615 poultry
farms and 67,254 sheep farms in the United States according to the Census of Agriculture
(United States Department of Agriculture, Production Fact Sheets, 2007). In the United
States an average farm is 434 acres, according to the latest Agricultural Census conducted
in 2012 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2014). The average American farm
sold $187,093.00 of agricultural products, with more than 1.1 million farmers holding
another occupation other than farming (United States Department of Agriculture, 2014).
In 2012, there were 81,634 farms that sold over $1,000,000, 173,284 farms sold $250,000
representative from each of the farms who sold over $1,000,000 of sales were to sit in the
Ohio Stadium, there would be room for 20,695 more people (The Ohio State University,
2014).
Advertising Agriculture
For agricultural communicators and marketers, print media has been the most
percent in the number of print pages used to advertise agricultural products from 2011 to
2012 (Panousis, 2013). During the same time period, all other categories of advertising
saw a decrease in advertisements by nine percent, these other categories include eMedia,
broadcast, content/data and educational events (Panousis, 2013). For 2013, the trends are
the amount spent on agricultural print advertisements. The top five agricultural print
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advertisers from 2009 to 2013 were: “Monsanto, Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, Zoetis
how consumers of business information use the various communication channels that are
available,” this study included the agricultural sector (Semler, 2013, p. 28). The results
from this study concluded that, over all market sectors, print magazines and websites are
the primary source of information for consumers, but are closely followed by the use of
newsletters, conferences, and mobile technologies (Semler, 2013). This study concluded
that integrated marketing through multiple channels is the direction for the future of
advertising (Semler, 2013). Film was not analyzed during this study.
Agricultural Perceptions
Will Keith Kellogg, who was a pioneer in the breakfast cereal industry, founded
the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 1930 (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2014). The W.K.
Kellogg Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States,
and strives to create equal opportunities for youth (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2014). The
W.K. Kellogg Foundation has conducted studies on the perceptions of rural America.
242 in-depth interviews of individuals from rural, urban, and suburban areas throughout
multiple regions in the country to find out what the perceptions are of individuals who
live in rural areas of the United States (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002). The participants
in the study believed agriculture was the dominant industry in the United States, although
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this perception is not factual (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002). Participants were rooted
in their beliefs that rural America is “dominated by images of the family farm, crops and
pastures” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. 4). In fact, participants believed the three
most common image representations of rural America were: “farms and crops, pastures,
and animals” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. 4). Country life was perceived as
serene, peaceful and slow-paced, and overall a safe, family oriented community
environment.
Some participants stated they believed a family farm is the definition of what it
means to be American. By this they are meaning farmers personify the idyllic American
values, to be “hard working and self sufficient” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. 5).
Fifty-three percent of the participants believed that rural residents are the most
• “Rural life represents traditional American values, but is behind the times;
• Rural life is more relaxed and slower than city life, but is harder and more
grueling;
1).
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Perceptions of Rural America: Media Coverage was the second W.K. Kellogg
Foundation study. This study analyzed news articles and reports from The New York
Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, Time, and
U.S. News and World Report, as well as ABC, NCB, and CBS morning and evening news
programming from January to June of 2002 to determine how “urban national media
portrays rural America today” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. ii). Each relevant
article and news story was coded for three frames: an agricultural context, negative
2002).
This study determined that popular topics associated with “rural” in news
included: land use, crime, politics, unemployment, lifestyle, the environment, health, and
education (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002). Overall, only one out of every six news
stories linked “rural” with “agriculture” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. 23).
Articles which appeared in The New York Times related “rural” to agriculture” in 32
percent of the stories, while other news sources featured a lower percentage (W.K.
Kellogg Foundation, 2002, p. 23). In all of the news sources “agriculture-related groups
and their representatives were quoted only six times, far less than others, such as
setting. Terms used to find these instanced included: “pastoral, peaceful, picturesque,
quiet, sleepy, quaint, Currier & Ives and Norman Rockwell” (W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
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2002, p. 21). Fictional correlations appeared four times as often in print news stories in
comparison to news stories that appeared on television programming, and The New York
Times had the heaviest application of theatric terms of all the news outlets (W.K. Kellogg
Mass media has been influencing agriculture in America even before the country
was founded in 1776 through newspapers and propaganda; however, the W.K. Kellogg
“There can be little doubt that American mass media have played a
significant role in building and decorating these frames. From the late
nineteenth century dime novels that depicted the winning of the Wild
West, to the ‘horse operas’ that dominated the early days of television
entertainment, to the big screen epics of John Wayne and John Huston,
human venality in the untamed west. More recent pop culture products
like the television series The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie,
along with cinematic hits like Places in the Heart and The River, have
Junction, Green Acres, and the Dukes of Hazzard have played a role in our
2002, p. 1).
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In “The Stuff You Need Out Here”: A Semiotic Case Study Analysis of an
(TSC) print advertisement marketing campaign was analyzed, and was partially based off
of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Perceptions of Rural America: Media Coverage study.
Like in the Perceptions of Rural America: Media Coverage, “The Stuff You Need Out
Here” analyzed how the advertisements for TSC were relating to the consumer through
print media.
The first advertisement analyzed in this study featured a politician giving a speech
on an iconic American farm, complete with a red barn, green foliage and three-board
fencing in the background. This advertisement tried to sell a “6-tine manure fork”,
(Rhoades & Irani, 2008, p. 7). The second advertisement showed a man with a sunburnt
farmer’s tan, which is assumed he received from mowing the rolling, lush green
mower, so consumers can prevent having sunburn from mowing their own rural paradise
(Rhoades & Irani, 2008, p. 9). The final advertisement featured a man sitting in wet swim
trunks on a lawn chair in the snow, which TSC was attempting to market the need for a
“deluxe insulated coverall” (Rhoades & Irani, 2008, p. 10). This advertisement played
into the perception that people from rural areas have fewer opportunities than those who
live in more urban areas, because the man is having a good time watching the snow fall
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into his cup for a source of entertainment (Rhoades & Irani, 2008). While all of the
advertisements from TSC used using humor to market the variety of products they sell in
their stores, the advertisements reinforced the findings from the Kellogg studies that rural
lifestyles can be linked to agricultural farmsteads, individuals who are generally isolated
and a bit backwards, and rural lifestyles provide peaceful and serene landscapes to enjoy
Specht analyzed 23 films and television programs released between 1950 and
2012. This study compared the content of films and television shows in relation to the
findings of the Kellogg Foundation study, Perceptions of Rural America (Specht, 2013).
Eden, Giant, The Real McCoys, Green Acres, Charlotte’s Web (1973), Places in the
Heart, Country, The River, Witness, Field of Dreams, City Slickers, Babe, A Thousand
Acres, The Horse Whisperer, The Cider House Rules, Signs, The Simple Life, Brokeback
Mountain, Charlotte’s Web (2006), Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Temple Grandlin (Specht,
2013). Specht states that the “American agrarian myth has been shaped in part by
entertainment media,” and that until her study no one had “attempted to aggregate and
analyze media texts that describe, discuss, or portray American agriculture” (Specht,
2013, p. 4).
The findings from this study demonstrated “a strong correlation between the
manner in which entertainment media texts depict agricultural production and the themes
identified by respondents of the Kellogg Institute study. One of the most powerful
arguments for this phenomenon is the presentation of the rural agrarian context in films
22
and television programs prior to 1990” (Specht, 2013, p. 257). Other than rare exceptions
in Giant, The Horse Whisperer, and Brokeback Mountain, all of the entertainment pieces
studied played into the Normal Rockwell-like imagery of a rural landscape established as
the American perception in the Kellogg Foundation study, with “a nostalgic combination
of small farming operations bounded by scenic, hilly terrain, lush forests, and dirt roads”
sometimes surpasses its presentation on film. This usually occurs when showing scenes
from historical films, as the real farm technology of the time period had already
progressed and changed from what it typically shown on film (Specht, 2013). Depending
upon the film, several of the films studied in Specht’s study portrayed Agriculture fairly
Fox, and Temple Grandlin, as well as the financial difficulties the agricultural industry
faced during the 1980s in Country, The River, and Field of Dreams (Specht, 2013).
which society views production agriculture while reflecting real occurrences that impact
Agriculture was one of the initial industries in the United States, and as the
industry has had such an intertwined history with how the nation has evolved, it is only
logical to expect agriculture to be present in films, which “perhaps more than any other
23
medium, movies mirror the society that creates them” (Biagi, 2010, p. 134). By looking
24
Chapter 3: Methods
portion of its plot or setting. Agricultural companies generally advertise their products to
placement in films generally isn’t the direction these companies take to advertise.
Although the appearance of agricultural products is likely by chance, and not paid for, the
repeated use of agricultural products in films leave an impression on the viewers of the
films, whether the viewers are directly tied to agriculture or not. Cultivation theory states
that given repeated use of an idea or image through a media will, over time, influence the
perceptions of the viewer to match the representations presented in the media content.
Therefore, this study analyzed a selection of agriculturally based films to determine what
Study Questions
The purpose of this study is to determine how agricultural brands are featured in
films, including their prominence in the film and the frequency of the brand appearance.
25
3. How are the agricultural brands positioned in the film (Is the brand name clearly
4. Are there trends between the films the in which the agricultural brands appeared?
5. Are there trends with the actors or actresses who appear in the popular films that
Research Design
films featuring agricultural product placement. With a lack of studies looking at brand
placement of agricultural products in film, a basic study is needed to identify the current
and “is an empirical (observational) and objective procedure for quantifying recorded
categories (‘values’ on independent ‘variables’)” (Van Leeuwen & Jewitt, 2001, p. 10 &
meaning content analysis can be used for studying content in: radio, television, film,
Jewitt, 2001, p. 13). Because of content analysis’ versatility, the method is very popular
26
Film Selection
To find an adequate list of films to study, films from the past 25 years were
considered and analyzed first for their agricultural relevance. Each year’s data of the top
100 grossing films were narrowed to films that had an agricultural theme or sequence of
scenes (Box Office Mojo, 2013). Perspective films were viewed by the researcher to
determine the agricultural representation in the film; some films were removed from the
list because while they had a rural setting, the film contained no relevancy to the
agriculturally based films, as well as assistance from a panel of experts in the agricultural
industry and by researching numerous movie synopses. Films fitting the initial
27
• For Richer or Poorer (Spicer, 1997)
This list was narrowed by the requirement of the film to have a box office rank
higher than 70 in the year the film was released (Brand Cameo, 2012) and the film could
not be an animated film because the purpose of the study is to identify actual brands
rather than fictional brands. Twenty-eight films met the criteria for this portion of the
study.
Once the film selection had been narrowed, the films were watched to determine
was not found, the film was removed from the list. If there was agricultural product
placement occurring in the film, the film was coded for the various brands represented in
the film, length of duration brand is present on screen, and interaction with characters.
Appendix B provides the coding sheet which all of the films were analyzed with.
agricultural representation, both clearly and subtly presented. For example, in Son in
29
Law, Pauley Shore’s character, Crawl, climbs into a Massey Ferguson 8460 Combine,
while the farm’s hired hand operates a Ford tractor in the background (Rash, 1993). In
Twister, Pioneer Seed, a well-known seed company, is subtly featured on the farmer’s hat
at the end of the movie as he and his family emerge from their tornado shelter to find
their farmstead destroyed by a powerful tornado (de Bont, 1996). The following 19 films
representation, and are the final film selection for this study:
30
• Brokeback Mountain (Lee, 2005)
Films were coded for brand appearance, length of duration of brand appearance
and visibility of the brand. Once a brand was identified in the film, the coder would time
the length of appearance of the brand over the course of the film, which generally was a
series of multiple appearances, and in some cases multiple products from the same brand
were used. The coder would also keep track of how the brand was used, for instance:
Was the brand used in a normal way, as it would appear in real life?
If the brand logo was not visible, was the coder able to determine what the
Films were carefully watched for branded content, and times of brand appearance
were checked multiple times by rewinding and reviewing segments of the films with
branded material to obtain an accurate count of film time presence. All of the lengths of
screen time were counted in seconds, as most of the brands appeared for a very short
Trucks and cars were not coded for this study because vehicles are common
consumer products, which anyone could purchase and are not necessarily representative
of the agricultural industry. Records are kept about vehicle brand appearance in film on
sites such as Brand Cameo and the Internet Movie Cars Database, but not specifically
31
agricultural brands, which is why this study was needed to look for agricultural products
(Brand Cameo, 2012) (Internet Movie Cars Database, 2006). Industrial trucks and
equipment were coded throughout the films because of the versatility the products to
elevators.
Data Analysis
The data was analyzed by using qualitative measurements through coding and
Once the films were analyzed using content analysis, averages were calculated for
average brand screen time and quarter of successfulness for agriculturally based films, as
Validity of this study is based on the need for more information on agricultural
obtained through the literature review for this study, which includes specific information
perceptions of Agriculture in the United States, the film industry, and product placement.
Annie Specht, Ph.D., conducted her dissertation, called A Social Semiotic Discourse
Cultural Memory, at Texas A&M University on the pastoral fantasy presented in films
and television episodes which were agriculturally or rurally based (Specht, 2013).
However, Specht’s dissertation does not cover the appearance of branded material in
32
film, but provides an example for coding agricultural imagery in film. Studying film and
technology.
Reliability of this study is replicable by viewing the selected films and conducting
thorough content analysis. Three individuals participated in content analysis of the films
to establish a reliable reviewing method and to verify the validity of findings. The coders
maner, by determining what kinds of brands to look for in the film and how to code the
length of duration. The main researcher, and author, of the study watched all of the films
to verify all the appearances of the brands. The researcher and individuals who assisted
with content analysis of the films had an 84 percent inter-coder reliability rate in finding
brands throughout the films analyzed (Riffe, Lacy, & Fico, 1998).
Limitations
There are a few limitations to this study. The way films are made sometimes
impact being able to recognize or find brands within the film, as products do not always
feature a clear logo, brand name, or distinguishable feature to identify the product with or
are not in focus for the viewer to obtain a clear image of the brand or product. The
researcher, and the other individuals who helped with content analysis, were all raised on
mid-western farms in Ohio. Some of the films were set in other regions of the nation, and
it is possible the researcher did not recognize a territorial brand, which is native to the
33
area depicted in the films. Because of the background of the researcher and the
individuals who assisted with the film content analysis, there is a bias toward brands and
film plots which are reminiscent of their personal experiences; however, without the
experiences of the researcher and assistants, not all of the brands would have been
identified because of the detailed nature of some of the brands and hidden corporate logos
The researcher worked a summer on the set of a popular superhero film in 2011.
Through the experience of working in a film production setting, the researcher was
exposed to film set construction, production office responsibilities, regional and state film
commission operations, and film set coordination. Through the experiences the researcher
experienced on this particular set, which was in an industrial building located in a rural
area of Ohio, helped form the idea for this research project because of the general feeling
several people involved in the film commission expressed on being negative toward
This study analyzed 19 films for agricultural branded content. After narrowing the
films from the initial list of over 40 films, it was determined that all of the films should
rank higher than 70th in each year’s box office data, not be an animated film and have
agricultural branded products present in the films. Each of the 19 films was analyzed
carefully by the researcher, and two other individuals, all who have an agricultural
background.
34
Chapter 4: Results
film has become a commonplace marketing tactic (Walton, 2012). Large corporations,
such as Ford, Apple, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Mercedes and Budweiser, frequently use
captive audiences in movie theatres to market their products with the assistance of
creative film writers and attractive actors and actresses (Brand Cameo, 2012). Even the
agriculture industry finds itself represented on the big screen, but with less than two
percent of the population directly involved with agricultural production, the vast majority
of viewers do not know what is the correct representation of the agricultural industry
(EPA's Ag Center, 2012). Because agricultural brands have such a small market to
advertise to, paying to have their products featured in films is not usually an
Even though agricultural companies are not likely to pay for screen time in films
for their main marketing strategies, their products still make their way to the silver screen
when the plot of the film is agriculturally based. According to the Motion Picture
Association of America, Inc., cinemas annually attract more people than attendance to
theme parks and major United States sports combined (MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL)
35
(Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , 2011). In 2011, more than two-thirds of
the population of the United States and Canada attended a movie at least once, and in
2012 alone the United States film industry grossed more than nine billion dollars (Motion
Picture Association of America, Inc. , 2011) (The Numbers, 2012). Because of the high
viewing rate and marketing power of films, it is logical to analyze the agricultural brands
present in films to determine what films are marketing as the American pastoral image
and which companies are reaping the benefits of free marketing services to millions of
consumers.
brands in the films studied, appearing 23 times throughout the 19 films. Twenty-seven
brands in total were placed in the 19 films, with an overall brand count of 46 appearances
throughout the films. While John Deere was the most common brand to appear in the
films, Farmall/International Harvester and CAT had the second highest number of
appearances throughout the films, appearing in three films each (see Table 4.1). John
Deere was on screen for a total 525 seconds throughout 14 of the 19 films, which was the
highest length of appearance of any brand. John Deere appeared in: Funny Farm, Field of
Dreams, City Slickers, Son In Law, The Bridges of Madison County, Twister, The
36
Waterboy, Runaway Bride, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, Seabiscuit, The Dukes of
Massey Ferguson had the second highest length of screen time, being on screen
for a combined 203 seconds in Twister and Son In Law. Snapper mowers were featured in
Forrest Gump, for a total of 159 seconds, followed in greatest length of appearance by
In contract, the brand with the smallest number of screen time was New Holland,
which appeared for one second in Field of Dreams on a hat. Ace Hi Feeds, Carhartt,
Dekalb, and Redwing Shoes each had the second lowest amount of screen time, with each
brand being present for three seconds each throughout the films.
Appearance:
Total: 3 Seconds
Total: 3 Seconds
Total: 11 Seconds
Table 4.1. Brands are listed with the films the brands appeared in along with the length of
appearance in seconds. Continued
37
Table
4.1:
Continued
CAT Field of Dreams 27
Forrest Gump 5
Charlotte’s Web 8
Total: 40 Seconds
Twister 12
Total: 20 Seconds
County
Total: 3 Seconds
Total: 5 Seconds
Harvester
Runaway Bride 4
Signs 13
Total: 24 Seconds
Total: 8 Seconds
Continued
38
Table
4.1:
Continued
Ford Son In Law 19
Varsity Blues 40
Total: 54 Seconds
Field of Dreams 26
City Slickers 6
Son In Law 6
County
Twister 65
Runaway Bride 1
Seabiscuit 16
Superman Returns 19
Charlotte’s Web 78
Secretariat 17
Total: 525
Seconds
Continued
39
Table
4.1:
Continued
Justin Boots Son In Law 14
Varsity Blues 40
Total: 54 Seconds
Total: 26 Seconds
Total: 44 Seconds
Total: 104
Seconds
Total: 6 Seconds
Twister 45
Total: 203
Seconds
Total: 1 Second
Pioneer Twister 15
Total: 15 Seconds
Continued
40
Table 4.1: Continued
Quality Seed Field of Dreams 10
Total: 10 Seconds
Total: 7 Seconds
Total: 3 Seconds
Total: 159
Seconds
Total: 10 Seconds
Total: 18 Seconds
Total: 16 Seconds
Total: 45 Seconds
Total: 1384
Seconds
41
Objective Three Findings:
How are the brands positioned in the film (Is the brand name clearly shown, is it
The following paragraphs describe a selection of the films and brands, clarifying
the use of brands in the films or how the films portrayed the brands. The brand with the
greatest number of on screen time, John Deere, films with high interactive brand
experience, the highest ranking and largest grossing film studied, Forrest Gump, and
Charlotte’s Web, a widely distributed children’s classic book adapted into film.
John Deere
The Waterboy (Coraci, The Waterboy, 1998), starring Adam Sandler, features a
highly disguised John Deere mower, which has been painted red. However, the mower
serves as the main method of transportation for Bobby Boucher (Sandler) to get to
football practice at the University of Louisiana and South Central Louisiana State
University from his home in the bayou, as well as his honeymoon transportation at the
end of the film (Coraci, The Waterboy, 1998). The Waterboy features the highest time of
on-screen branded material for any of the films studied, which is 223 seconds of screen
time of the John Deere mower, see Figure 4.1 (Coraci, The Waterboy, 1998). Although
the mower is painted red, and some individuals would believe the mower could be built
by Case IH, Snapper or Wheel Horse (all companies which produce red lawn mowers),
the body style of this particular model is produced by John Deere and it does retain the
42
Figure 4.1. Bobby Boucher, portrayed by Adam Sandler, shown in the right foreground,
approaches the John Deere mower featured in The Waterboy (Coraci, The Waterboy,
1998: Internet Movie Cars Database, 2006).
Even if the representation of John Deere is ignored from The Waterboy, John
Deere is still has the longest duration of screen appearance of 302 seconds from the films
studied, with The Waterboy’s appearance of John Deere included the brand is present on
screen for 525 seconds. Although John Deere branding was disguised in The Waterboy,
the brand was not camouflaged in any of the other films, which feature the iconic green
and yellow machinery and running buck logo (Coraci, The Waterboy, 1998). Whether the
John Deere logo was featured on a hat, as it was in Funny Farm and Charlotte’s Web, or
43
on a piece of machinery like in Field of Dreams, City Slickers, Son In Law, Twister,
Runaway Bride, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, Seabiscuit, The Dukes of Hazzard,
Superman Returns, and Secretariat, the brand received attention from millions of viewers
and was easily recognizable as a part of the John Deere product line up (Hill, Funny
Farm, 1988) (Winick, Charlotte’s Web, 2006) (Robinson, Field of Deams, 1989)
(Underwood, City Slickers, 1991) (Rash, Son In Law, 1993) (de Bont, Twister, 1996)
(Marshall G., Runaway Bride, 1999) (Coen & Coen, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, 2000)
Superman Returns, 2006). Ray Kinsella, portrayed by Kevin Costner, uses his John Deere
2640 tractor to plow under a portion of his corn crop to build his baseball field in Field of
Dreams (Robinson, Field of Dreams, 1989). This John Deere product clearly displays the
brand, as well as the model number for the audiences to digest for 26 seconds of screen
44
Figure 4.2. Ray Kinsella and his daughter, Karin, ride on the John Deere 2640 during the
film Field of Dreams (Robinson, Field of Dreams,1989: Internet Movie Cars Database,
2012).
Son In Law has the second longest running time of branded material during the
film. However, unlike in The Waterboy, the screen time of 200 seconds is divided
between five brands in Son In Law (Coraci, The Waterboy, 1998) (Rash, Son In Law,
1993). Ace Hi Feeds, Ford, John Deere, Justin Boots, and Massey Ferguson share the
spotlight in Son In Law throughout the Morgan Family’s attempts to educate Crawl
(portrayed by Pauley Shore), their daughter’s city slicker fiancée, on how to farm (Rash,
Son In Law, 1993). After an afternoon shoveling manure into a John Deere manure
spreader, Crawl climbs into the family’s Massey Ferguson 8460 combine to the tune of
John Denver’s Thank God I’m a Country Boy and proceeds to write his moniker in
45
cursive throughout the (ragweed infested) corn field, all while the hired hand, Theo,
operates a Ford tractor in the background while wearing his favorite Massey Ferguson
ball cap (See Figure 4.3)(Rash, Son In Law, 1993). The John Deere manure spreader
appeared for six seconds, Ford tractor for 19 seconds, Massey Ferguson for 158 seconds,
Ace Hi Feeds for three seconds and Justin Boots appeared for 14 seconds throughout Son
Figure 4.3. Crawl operates the Massey Ferguson 8460 with ease while learning to
become a farmer in Son In Law (Rash, Son In Law, 1993: Internet Movie Cars Database,
2014).
46
Bill
and
Jo
Harding,
portrayed
by
Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, send film viewers
flying across the Great Plains, near Wakita, Kansas, in search of the most dangerous
tornadoes in Twister (de Bont, Twister, 1996). The team of experienced storm chasers
speed through sleepy rural towns and take shortcuts through corn fields as they chase the
tornadoes form and what occurs while the storm is destroying everything in its path (de
This film is unlike all of the other films studied, because it used agricultural
brands to frighten the audience, as well as understand the sheer force Mother Nature can
inflict on material goods. Toward the end of the film, the Hardings pass by an implement
dealership, which is selling primarily Massey Ferguson and Cub Cadet Equipment, along
with a few John Deere tractors. Seconds later, several Massey Ferguson combines slam
into the road, having been picked up from the dealership and thrown from a tornado,
from which the hero and heroine narrowly miss being crushed to death. In the last scene,
the most powerful tornado in the film has just wrecked havoc on a farm, by annihilating a
large barn, fencing, corn crop, and well house. As soon as the storm cleared, the farming
family emerged from their storm cellar. The family is physically unscathed from the
disaster, but as the father looks around in disbelief at the destruction of his farm, he is
wearing his Pioneer Seed ball cap for the viewers of film, see Figure 4.4.
47
Figure 4.4. The farmer and his family emerge from the storm cellar at the end of Twister.
Notice the farmer's hat, which features the Pioneer Seed logo (de Bont, Twister, 1996).
Forrest Gump
The highest ranking and grossing film studied was Forrest Gump, which brought
in $329,694,499.00 and was the number one movie of 1994. Forrest Gump starts out in
Conner Humphries and Tom Hanks, has a rough start in life by requiring braces on his
48
legs and having a lower than average IQ. Mrs. Gump, portrayed by Sally Field, walks
with Forrest from the town, passing by a Farmall tractor on the road in front of their
home within the first seven minutes of the film. Forrest overcomes the need for the braces
on his legs, and is able to live a full life by going to college, joining the army and serving
in Vietnam, starting the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and many other great
achievements (Zemeckis, Forrest Gump, 1994). However, his one true passion in life is
his friendship with Jenny, the girl he befriended on the first day of school. After making
money with his shrimp business, Forrest returns to Greenbow, Alabama, where he mows
the local football field and his yard with his Snapper lawn mower for free.
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web is the most widely recognized agrarian story studied through the
series of films in this study. The film released in 2006 was based off E.B. White’s
Charlotte’s Web, originally published in 1952, which became “one of the most beloved
children’s books,” according to A.O. Scott, of the New York Times (Scott, 2006). The
film follows the life of Wilbur, the pig, and Charlotte A. Cavatica, the spider who spins
elaborate webs with words in order to save Wilbur from the butcher’s block (Winick,
Charlotte’s Web, 2006) (Scott, 2006). The animals reside on the Zuckerman farm and
49
Figure 4.5. Fern, portrayed by Dakota Fanning and wearing a 4-H shirt, holds Wilbur
while admiring Charlotte's newest web in Charlotte's Web (Winick, Charlotte’s Web,
2006).
Charlotte’s Web extensively promotes youth organizations, such as the 4-H and
FFA, by showing an informative lecture during class to encourage students to join their
local 4-H club and exhibit a project at the local county fair (Winick, Charlotte’s Web,
2006). Fern, portrayed by Dakota Fanning, even wears a shirt with the 4-H emblem while
working with Wilbur on the farm (Winick, Charlotte’s Web, 2006) (See Figure 4.5).
50
Objective Four Results:
Are there trends between the films in which the agricultural brands appeared in?
Of the films analyzed in this study, agricultural brands appeared in more films
categorized as dramas in comparison to other film genres (Box Office Mojo, 2013) (See
Table 4.2). Of the 19 films, 11 were categorized as dramas, followed by comedy in ten
films, and romance in six films. The majority of the films were rated PG-13 (12 films
were rated PG-13 out of 19), four films were rated PG, two R, and one G rated film was
Table
4.2.
Table
4.2
lists
the
films
in
chronological
order
providing
the
rating
and
genre
of
each
film
studied
in
the
study.
Continued
51
Table 4.2: Continued
Runaway Bride PG Comedy, Romance
The films studied were produced from a combination of six different studios:
Buena Vista Pictures produced six films, followed by Warner Bros. producing five films,
Paramount Studios produced four films, Universal Pictures produced two films, and
Columbia Pictures and Focus Entertainment each produced one film containing
agricultural brands (Box Office Mojo, 2013) (See Table 4.3). Superman Returns was
shown in the greatest number of theatres, in comparison to other films studied. Clark
Kent’s latest reprisal as Superman appeared in 2006 in 4,065 theatres throughout the
United States (Box Office Mojo, 2013). O’ Brother, Where Art Thou? was shown in the
52
fewest number of theatres, for a total of 847 theatres. While all of the films ranked higher
than 70th in each of the respective box office year rankings, none of the films ranked
higher than Forrest Gump, which was the highest-ranking film at number one for 1994.
Twister was the second highest film of 1996. Secretariat ranked 58th in 2010 and O’
Brother, Where Art Thou? ranked 56th in 2000, and were the lowest ranking films
studied.
Rank: shown
in:
Pictures
Pictures
Table
4.3.
Films
studied
are
listed
chronologically
and
each
film's
box
office
rank,
production
company
and
number
of
theatres
shown
in
are
included.
Continued
53
Table
4.3:
Continued
1995 The Bridges of Madison County 21 Warner Bros. 1986
The total combined gross income from the films studied was $2,213,087,100.00
(Box Office Mojo, 2013) (See Table 4.4.). The films were shown in a total of 46,170
theatres across the country and had a combined running time of 2,185 hours (Box Office
Mojo, 2013) (See Table 4.3 and Table 4.4.). Six films premiered in the second quarter of
the year (April, May and June), five films premiered in the first quarter (January,
February and March), both the third (July, August and September) and fourth (October,
November and December) quarters had four films premier (Box Office Mojo, 2013) (See
Table 4.4.). Films that premiered in the second quarter rank higher in the box office, on
54
Film: Gross Income: Debut Date: Running Time:
Table 4.4. Films are listed with earnings generated, box office opening date, and running
time.
55
Objective Five Results:
Are there trends with the actors or actresses who appear in the films?
Actors and actresses capture the audience’s attention during the film, and usually
leave lasting impressions after the film has ended. Trends of actors and actresses who
frequently portray characters in rural films appeared in the films analyzed for this study
Of these films, four actors were in multiple films on the list. They varied from
main roles to supportive roles, but were essential in the creation of making the audience
feel like they were part of a functional rural community, experiencing an agrarian
lifestyle. See Table 4.5. Royce D. Applegate, Kathy Bates, John Goodman and Julia
Roberts were each featured in two of the films analyzed which contained agricultural
branded material. Royce D. Applegate and Julia Roberts appeared in other films which
were analyzed for brand content, but were eliminated from the study because of a lack of
branded material present in the films. Therefore, when considering films with rural
comparison to other actors in Table 4.5. In the particular films in this study, the six
56
Actor: Films:
Seabiscuit
Charlotte’s Web
Charlotte’s Web
Table 4.5. Actors who were in multiple films studied are listed with the films they
appeared in.
Although the agriculturally based brands do not take up the majority of screen
time in films, they still are an important part of making the scenes in the films believable
and representative of an agrarian lifestyle. The use of the branded agricultural products in
the films studied for this research project, portrayed agriculture in a realistic setting.
Overall, the brands were used for their intended purposes and accurately represented the
agriculture industry in the United States. There use would correctly inform the viewers of
23.07 minutes. This means agricultural brands were present for 1.06 percent of the
57
combined films running time. However, despite such a low percentage, the brands
presented in the films were visible to viewers. There is an even greater presence of
58
Chapter 5: Conclusions
Less than two percent of the United States population is directly involved with
production agriculture, and therefore the majority of the general public is not directly
American farm functions (EPA's Ag Center, 2012). While the majority of the population
does not know firsthand what the agricultural industry requires to operate on a daily
basis, they are exposed through numerous forms of mass media on the happenings in
rural America. Although most media formats, such as television and film, use pastoral
scenes to sell a fictional story line, rather than providing factual information for the
public to learn from. Therefore, this study used content analysis to determine what brands
are present in films featuring agricultural scenes from the past 25 years. Films from this
broad period of time would allow the films to be readily available for the general public
to view. Each of the films ranked higher than 70th in its opening year box office records
and was a live action film, rather than an animated film (Box Office Mojo, 2013).
Nineteen films met the requirements for the study and contained agricultural brands.
59
3. How are the agricultural brands positioned in the film (Is the brand name clearly
4. Are there trends between the films in which the agricultural brands appeared?
5. Are there trends with the actors or actresses who appear in the popular films that
Agricultural brands were not the focus of the story plots of the films studied; the
brands had a large impact on creating the imagery of an operational agricultural industry,
and thus influenced the viewer of the films to believe the scenes they were watching.
Some brands were utilized, or worn, by characters, while others were adding to the
ambiance in the background, but each was important to form the take home message for
the viewer. Despite having a supportive role in each of the films, 27 brands were featured
throughout the films. The brands present were: Ace Hi Feeds, Carhartt, Castrol Motor
Harvester, FFA, Ford, John Deere, Justin Boots, Kent Feed, Kenworth, Komakatsu,
Mack, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Pioneer, Quality Seed, REAL Seal, Red Wing
Shoes, Snapper, Versatile, Wheel Horse, White Farm Equipment, and 4-H.
Each of the present brands helped create the imagery associated with an American
farm or functional rural community. Whether it was the main characters driving a John
Deere tractor or a supporting character wearing a 4-H shirt, each of the brands left an
60
Although agriculturalists frequently debate the battle of red vs. green
films John Deere reigns supreme over all other brands in length of screen time and
number of appearances in the films analyzed during this study. From all the films that
contained branded material in a rural setting, John Deere products were featured in 13
In total, agricultural branded material was present for 23.07 minutes throughout
the 19 films. This is approximately 1.06 percent of the combined running time of each of
the films, which is a small portion of the screen time. However, when the films are being
shown in the theaters, the film has the undivided attention of the audience because of
communication devices during the film. The movie theatre is one of the rare locations in
disconnecting from the digital world and unplugging for a few hours to enjoy nothing but
While 1.06 percent of the combined running time is a low portion of the film, the
being obtained through watching the films. In comparison to agricultural brands that are
not placed in films or other mass media outlets, like television, agricultural brands that
are placed in films have a lager public awareness, even if it is subconscious, because of
the visibility obtained through film. Funny Farm’s movie poster and DVD and VHS
packaging cover features Chevy Chase riding his Wheel Horse lawn mower, this kind of
61
advertising would not have been achieved without the use of agricultural product
placement in film.
Figure 5.1. Funny Farm poster shows Chevy Chase and Yellow Dog riding on a Wheel
Horse lawn mower, which is featured for 18 seconds in the film (Hill, Funny Farm,
1988).
Films have historically had a large audience. Films attract over a billion people
annually to the theatres and even more people watch films at home (Biagi, 2010).
62
Advertisers are increasingly turning to market products through product placement in
programs, consumers cannot skip the advertisement because it is integrated into the story
line of the entertainment piece. For this reason, agricultural communicators must study
New Holland appeared for 1 second in Field of Dreams on a hat worn by a supporting,
unnamed character – which was very easy to miss in a feature length film. In comparison,
Ray Kinsella, portrayed by Kevin Costner, in Field of Dreams used a John Deere tractor
to plow his field of corn down to make the baseball field. This product placement of the
John Deere tractor focuses the entire screen on to the tractor for several seconds.
Francesca Johnson, portrayed by Meryl Streep, drives a John Deere tractor and tends to
her family’s corn in The Bridges of Madison County, while Robert Kincaid, portrayed by
Clint Eastwood, drives by a Dekalb sign on his way to examine the famous Madison
County Bridges. The placement of the brands does impact the effectiveness of the brands
marketing power. New Holland and Dekalb did not have the same effectiveness that John
Like the findings in Specht’s study of film and television portrayals of agriculture
and Rhoades and Irani’s study of TSC advertisements, the films analyzed in this study
63
reflect the findings from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Perception of Rural America
results. The 19 films analyzed in this research study show a variation of the agrarian
perceptions defined by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation studies. These films depict rolling
hills, lush foliage, Norman Rockwell imagery (especially in Funny Farm where the
Farmers pay the local community to imitate covers of The Saturday Evening Post which
feature Rockwell’s depictions of idyllic rural life), red barns, conservative values,
demonstrate hard work ethics, and reinforce perceptions that some rural folk are
backwards and lack sophistication (Like Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump, Bobby
Boucher from The Waterboy, and the Duke cousins from The Dukes of Hazzard).
Generally the farmers depicted in the films would wear boots, bib overalls with a flannel
shirt and some kind of hat, generally a baseball cap or cowboy hat, which would match
covers as well, specifically on Son In Law’s cover imitating Grant Wood’s painting called
“American Gothic” (Rash, 1993) (Basinger, 2005). The use of agricultural brands and the
settings shown in the films is an extension of the agricultural perceptions of common film
64
Figure 5.2 and 5.1. Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting and Son In Law's
promotional poster share a striking resemblance in order to match viewer
perceptions of rural American lifestyles, and include humor in the film's advertising
(Basinger, 2005: Rash, 1993).
Using popular actors and public figures to show off agricultural products in films
through product placement is a method to connect the brand to the consumer. While the
majority of the population of the United States has no need for the largest horsepower
tractor made by John Deere or a Caterpillar D-4 bulldozer, most are able to relate to
material items produced by the companies, such as t-shirts, hats, children’s toys and even
65
Figure
5.4.
John
Deere
produced
a
1/16
model
toy
tractor
of
the
2640
tractor
driven
by
Kevin
Costner
in
Field
of
Dreams
(Robinson,
Field
of
Dreams,
1989)
(Ebay,
2014).
consumer to purchase a branded item if the brand is portrayed positively. Individuals who
are looking to purchase a lawn mower and have recently seen Forrest Gump, Funny
Farm or Twister, may evaluate the differences between Wheel Horse, Snapper, and Cub
Cadet lawn mowers because of the brands presence on the screen. Visual images can be
66
Recommendations for Practitioners
agricultural and rural based films. By understanding and knowing what representations
consumers are seeing in the theater, agricultural communicators can establish better
advertising and public relation campaigns to work with or against the imagery. Film and
television are interwoven to influence the audience’s opinions through cultivation, and
with factual information in the minds of the viewers (Potter, 1993). Not all information
brands.
because of the large quantity of viewers who see films. While it is not known what
brands paid for product placement or not in the films studied, the brands should all have
tried to increase sales through the advertisements made through the films. As product
placement becomes increasingly popular in the future, agricultural companies will need
and television.
67
Recommendations for Future Research
Further studies on films featuring agricultural settings, plots, and brands are
and agricultural consumers. Films should be studied from a greater number of years to
determine the variety of agricultural brands utilized in film production and any trends
over a greater period of time. Films ranking lower than 70th in box office years should
also be studied, because those films also had large audiences. When analyzing a greater
quantity of films, actors and actresses trends should be studied and considered for their
marketing power with consumers who would want to see them in an agricultural or rural
based film, and how well they market agricultural products within the story line of the
film.
determine the brand recall and consumer perception of agricultural brands from both
viewing films and following their purchasing habits of agricultural products is a logical
Although agricultural brands have a small role in the market of product placement
in all films; in the agricultural sector, the appearance of agricultural products and brands
for the brands and their products (if the products are portrayed in a positive light). By
appearing in films, agricultural brands and the agricultural industry achieve visibility
from millions of viewers and impact the image of American agriculture for 98 percent of
68
the nation’s population who are not involved with agricultural production on a farm in the
United States. By understanding what and how consumers of rural based films interpret
the brands and images of the agrarian lifestyles in the United States through film will
only help agricultural communicators communicate with the public in the future.
69
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84
Appendix A: Agricultural Brands
Twenty-eight brands were found throughout the films in this study. This portion
of the literature review provides background information about each of the brands that
Ace Hi Feeds
Ace Hi Feeds is a subsidary brand from the Star Milling Company, from Perris,
California (Star Milling Company, 2014). The “Star Milling Company manufactures
nutritious, high-quality animal feed that is sold through feed stores in the western United
States. Products are sold under the brands names Ace Hi, Integrity, Kelley’s, Star Brand,
Ultimate Show Feed, and Ultra Balance” (Star Milling Company, 2014). Star Milling
Company is a three generation owned and operated milling company. According to the
Star Milling Company website, Ace Hi Feeds consists of a line of feeds designed for
horses, poultry, dogs, birds, small animals and livestock (Star Milling Company, 2014).
85
Figure 6.1. Ace Hi Feed logo (Manchester Feeds, Inc., 2010).
Carhartt
specialized in apparel for railroad workers (Carhartt, 2014). The company began with
four sewing machines and five employees in 1889, and by the early 1900s the company
had grown to emcopmase 17 plants and three mills throughout the United States, Canada
and Europe (Carhartt, 2014). The company “remains a family owned operation
committed to the mission of providing Best-in-Class apparel for the active worker”
(Carhartt, 2014). The Carhartt line of products has grown from being designed for only
railroad workers to clothing lines for men, women and children, as well as a line of
86
Figure 6.2.The modern logo for the Carhartt company (Carhartt, 2014).
Castrol
The company began by producing a lubricant for the axlebox of steam locomotives.
“Wakefield & Co scientists found that adding a measure of castor oil to their lubricants
helped to keep the oil runny enough to work from cold at start-up and thick enough to
keep working at very high temperatures. They called the new product ‘Castrol’” (Castrol,
2014). By 1909, the company had become Castrol and started producing the first motor
Figure 6.3. Although the Castrol logo has changed since 1909, this is the 2012
version of the company's logo (Castrol, 2012).
87
Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc., began with the merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company and
the C.L. Best Tractor Company in 1925 (Caterpillar Inc., 2004). The first tractor
produced from this merger appeared in 1931, and by 1940 the product line included:
“moto graders, blade graders, elevating graders, terraces and electric generator sets”
(Caterpillar Inc., 2004). In 2004, the company sold “more than 300 products in 200
Caterpllar is a brand that has products being used worldwide for a multitude of
construction and escavating projects. From 2008 to 2011, “over 400 new Caterpllar
Caterpillar products helped with a new research base on Antartica (Caterpillar, 2014).
88
Cub Cadet
Cub Cadet began as International Harvester’s entrance into the small tractor
market in the early 1960s (Tractor Data, 2014). During International Harvester’s
ownership of the brand, the tractors were produced in Kentucky; however, in 1981, Cub
Cadet was sold to MTD “as the subsidiary Cub Cadet Corporation (CCC)” (Tractor Data,
2014). Cub Cadets were then built in Tennessee. Today the Cub Cadet brand produces:
lawn and garden tractors, zero-turn riding mowers, walk behind mowers, handheld and
cleanup devices, snow throwers and utility vehicles, according to the company’s website
Figure 6.5. The Cub Cadet logo is correlated with the company colors: yellow, white
and black (Cub Cadet, 2014).
DEKALB
On January 20, 1912, the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association was
better, to find a way to improve yield results for all those whose livelihood depended
89
upon the land” (DEKALB, 2012). Today, DEKALB is owned by the Monsanto
Corporation. The DEKALB brand sells seeds for “corn, alfalfa, grain sorghum, and
spring and winter canola” (Monsanto, 2014). The DEKALB logo has remained virtually
the same thought the past 100 years, being represented by a winged ear of corn.
Department of Agriculture
President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Agricultural Act to establish a
each state has its own Department of Agriculture, which provides support and services to
90
Agriculture, 2014). The United States Department of Agriculture’s logo features rolling
Society, 2014). Introduced in 1924, Farmalls were known as “the tricycle style row-crop
tractor,” and had the capabilities to plow and cultivate (Tractor Data, 2014). International
Harvester formed from the merger of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company and
the Deering Harvester Company in 1902 (Tractor Data, 2014). In 1985, International
91
Harvester merged with the J. I. Case Company to form the brand of Case IH, which still
operates today (Tractor Data, 2014). All of the tractors under the names of Farmall,
Figure 6.8. Farmall logo featured on many tractors (Wisconsin Historical Society, 2014).
Figure 6.9. International Harvester logo, prior to the merger with Case in 1985
(Koenig Equipment, Inc., 2012).
92
FFA
FFA is a youth organization, which was founded in 1928 as the Future Farmers of
success through agricultural education” (National FFA Organization, 2014). In 1929, the
FFA adopted the official colors of “national blue and corn gold” (National FFA
Organization, 2014). A few notable members of the FFA include: former President
Jimmy Carter, Willie Nelson and Taylor Swift (National FFA Organization, 2014).
93
Ford
Ford began producing tractors in 1917, with the first model being a Fordson F
(Tractor Data, 2014). After a series of mergers, Fordson became Ford and worked in
conjunction with Harry Ferguson (who later left Ford and merged with Massey-Harris to
however, the Ford-New Holland company was sold to FIAT in 1991 (Tractor Data,
2014). The agreement caused FIAT to stop using the Ford name on tractors in 2000
Figure 6.11. Ford Tractor logo, featured on tractor models from the 1950s (Ganzel,
2007).
94
John Deere
John Deere was a blacksmith and an inventor, originally from Vermont, who
created the first plow in 1837 (John Deere, 2014). By 1848, Deere had moved his
business to Moline, Illinois, and had built over 1,600 plows by 1850 (John Deere, 2014).
In 1895, the John Deere company published the first issue of The Furrow, which is now
“published in 14 languages for farmers and ranchers in 115 countries, and is the most
widely circulated farm magazine in the world” (John Deere, 2014). John Deere entered
the tractor sector in 1918, by purchasing the maker of “Waterloo Boy tractors” and sold
Figure 6.12. The John Deere logo, which was last updated in 2000, features a leaping
deer. Previous logos used a landing deer (John Deere, 2014).
95
Justin Boots
H.J. Justin founded Justin Boots in 1879, when he began making boots out of his
home in Nocona, Texas (Justin Boots, 2014). When Justin’s three sons joined the family
business in 1908, the company was renamed H.J. Justin and Sons (Justin Boots, 2014).
“In 1910, Justin boots were sold in 26 states, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba for $11 a pair”
(Justin Boots, 2014). Justin Boots has purchased several other boot companies over the
years, including: Nocona Boot Company, Chippewa Shoe Company and Tony Lama
Boots (Justin Boots, 2014). In 2000, Justin Boots was purchased by Warren Buffett’s
Berkshire Hathaway, and now produces a line of boots for men, women and children
Figure 6.13. Justin Boots logo, as shown on their website (Justin Boots, 2014).
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Kent Feeds
Kent Feeds was established in 1927 by Gage Kent in Indianola, Iowa (Kent
Nutrition Group, 2014). The brand made its claim to fame by becoming the “Feed
Without A Filler” (Kent Nutrition Group, 2014). Initially, the company specialized in
beef feed, but has grown to include feed rations for “swine, beef, dairy, poultry, specialty
and pet products” (Kent Nutrition Group, 2014). Kent Feeds operates nine feed plants in
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Nebraska (Kent Nutrition Group, 2014).
Figure 6.14. Kent Feeds remains a family owned company after 87 years of operation
(Kent Nutrition Group, 2014).
Kenworth
Kenworth was established in 1923, and named after the “two principal
stockholders, Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington” (Kenworth Trucks, 2014). The truck
producing company has distinguished itself because of the opportunities for consumers to
customize their vehicle (Kenworth Trucks, 2014). Kenworth has produced: fire trucks,
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military wreckers, and components for the B-17 and B-29 aircrafts (Kenworth Trucks,
2014). The company operates factories in Washington, Ohio, Canada and Mexico
Figure 6.15. Kenworth trucks are designed for optimum driver comfort and efficiency
(Kenworth Trucks, 2014).
Komakatsu
Komakatsu was formed in 1921 after separating from a mining company, called
Takeuchi Mining Co. (Komatsu America Corporation, 2014). Komatsu is a company that
originates from Japan, and the name translates in English to “little pine tree” (Komatsu
America Corporation, 2014). The company began marketing its products in the United
States in the 1960s, but the official North American operations were established in 1970
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(Komatsu America Corporation, 2014). Komatsu employs nearly 2,000 in the United
Figure 6.16. The Komatsu logo was previously a "little pine tree," but was changed in
the late 1990s to the current logo (Komatsu America Corporation, 2014).
Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks was established by John “Jack” Mack and his brother Augustus
Mack, in 1893 when they purchased the Fallesen & Berry carriage and wagon company
in Brooklyn, New York (Mack Trucks, Inc. , 2014). In 1894, William Mack joined his
brothers and began making wagons; as well as experimenting with steam and electric
cars, in their business they called the Mack Brothers Company (Mack Trucks, Inc. ,
2014). In 1900, the brothers produced their first vehicle: “a 40-horsepower, 20-passenger
bus” (Mack Trucks, Inc. , 2014). The bus was used as a sightseeing bus in Brooklyn’s
Prospect Park and was later converted into a truck; in total the vehicle drove over a
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million miles, setting precedence for future Mack Trucks (Mack Trucks, Inc. , 2014). The
Mack Brothers Company was sold in 1911 to the International Motor Truck Corporation.
In 1922, International Motor Truck Corporation adopted the Bulldog as the corporate
symbol and also changed its name to Mack Trucks, Incorporated (Mack Trucks, Inc. ,
2014).
Figure 6.17. In 1932, the first bulldog adorned the hood of a Mack truck (Mack Trucks,
Inc. , 2014).
Massey Ferguson
The Massey Ferguson company has been in existence for 167 years. Daniel
Massey started his farm implement business in 1847 and Alanson Harris established his
foundry in 1857, the two companies merged in 1891 to form Massey Harris (Massey
Ferguson, 2012). The Massey Harris company produced the first “commercially
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Harris merged with Harry Ferguson’s Harry Ferguson Limited of England, after Ferguson
had parted from Ford (Massey Ferguson, 2012). The company name was originally
hyphenated, but the hyphen was later dropped. Today, the company is owned by the
Figure 6.18. The current Massey Ferguson logo (Massey Ferguson, 2012).
New Holland
Pennsylvania, in 1895 (New Holland, N.D.). Today, New Holland manufactures “a full
line of tractors; hay and forage equipment; and harvesting, crop production and materials
handling equipment” (New Holland, N.D.). The company has more than 3,000 dealers in
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160 countries, and six of its production facilities are located in North America (New
Holland, N.D.).
Figure 6.19. The New Holland logo, as shown on the corporate website (New Holland,
N.D.).
Pioneer
1926 (DuPont Pioneer, 2014). The company changed its name to the Pioneer Hi-Bred
Corn Company in 1936, and by 1949 Pioneer’s seed sales reached the “million-unit
mark” (DuPont Pioneer, 2014). The company began to be publicly traded in 1973, the
same year it established soybean seed operations. By 1981, Pioneer led the market for
seed corn in North America and followed with soybeans in 1991 (DuPont Pioneer, 2014).
Pioneer was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995, and was purchased by
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Figure 6.20. Pioneer Seed is part of the DuPont Corporation (DuPont Pioneer, 2014).
Quality Seed
Quality Seeds, Ltd. is a Canadian based seed company. This company produces a
wide variety of seeds as well as erosion control solutions and corn testing (Quality Seeds
• Turf: Bluegrass, Ryegrass, Fine Fescues, Tall Fescue and Bentgrass (Quality
Figure 6.21. Quality Seeds Ltd. provides a wide variety of seeds and plant services
(Quality Seeds Inc., 2014).
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REAL Seal
The REAL Seal was created “four decades ago,” in 1976; by the Californian dairy
industry to ensure consumers they were purchasing an authentic dairy product (National
Milk Producers Federation, 2014). This labeling ensures consumers they are receiving a
product which was “made with milk from cows on U.S. dairy farms”, and meets “strict
Seal also means “the product contains no casein, casinate, vegetable oil, non-domestic
dairy protein or ingredient, or any cheese substitute or cheese analog” (National Milk
Figure 6.22. In the 1980s there were large marketing campaigns for the REAL Seal,
boosting awareness of additives in dairy products (National Milk Producers Federation,
2014).
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Red Wing Shoes
Red Wing Shoes began in Red Wing, Minnesota, when Charles Beckman and
fourteen other investors opened business in 1905 (Red Wing Shoes, 2014). They wanted
to produce shoes that were durable for individuals who were involved in the “mining,
logging and farming” industries (Red Wing Shoes, 2014). Red Wing Shoes also operates
Irish Setter, a hunting and fishing footwear line, and Vasque, a hiking and trail running
footwear line (Red Wing Shoes, 2014). The first winged logo for Red Wing Shoes was
created in 1928; however, the current logo was created in 2007 (See Figure 2.24.) (Red
Figure 6.23. The Red Wing Shoe company produces work shoes for both men and
women (Red Wing Shoes, 2014).
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Snapper
Georgia (Tractor Data, 2012). The company purchased Snappin’ Turtle lawn mowers and
began producing Snapper mowers in 1951. In 2002, Simplicity purchased Snapper, and
with this purchase Simplicity redirected the high-end lawn equipment’s future by
stopping sales of the brand in all Wal-Mart stores (Fishman, 2006). Today, Snapper is
owned by Briggs & Stratton, builds all of its 145 products in McDonough, Georgia, and
sells directly to 10,000 independent dealerships (Tractor Data, 2012) (Fishman, 2006).
Figure 6.24. Snapper products are all painted "Snapper red" and the company makes
push, riding and zero turn mowers, as well as snow blowers and other outdoor
equipment (Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, LLC, 2014).
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Versatile
Versatile was founded in 1966, and sold to Cornat Industries Inc. in 1977 (Buhler
Versatile Inc., 2014). In 1987 the company was sold to Ford New Holland, and was
renamed New Holland in 1993 (Buhler Versatile Inc., 2014). Buhler Industries Inc.
purchased the company in 2000 and sold it in 2007 to Combine Factory Rostselmash Ltd.
(Buhler Versatile Inc., 2014). The Versatile name returned in October of 2008, and the
brand is the “only Canadian manufacturer of agricultural tractors” (Buhler Versatile Inc.,
2014). The company operates a factory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and produces tractors,
Figure 6.25. This version of the Versatile logo was released in 2008 (Buhler Versatile
Inc., 2014).
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Wheel Horse
Wheel Horse was founded by Elmer Pond, in 1946 (Tractor Data, 2013). The
company grew to produce “a full line of lawn and garden tractors, in addition to riding
lawn mowers” (Tractor Data, 2013). In 1986, Wheel Horse was purchased by Toro,
another lawn and garden equipment manufacturer (Tractor Data, 2013). Toro continued
to build lawn tractors under the Wheel Horse brand name until 2007 (Tractor Data,
2013).
Figure 6.26. The Wheel Horse logo, as shown on the Wheel Horse Collectors Club
website (Wheel Horse Collectors Club, Inc. , 2014).
The White Farm Equipment Company was established in 1969 (Tractor Data,
2013). Before becoming the White Farm Equipment Company, it was previously called
the White Motor Company and had purchased Oliver and Cockshutt in 1960, as well as
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Minneapolis-Moline in 1963 (Tractor Data, 2013). White Farm Equipment was
purchased in 1991 by AGCO, and continued to produce AGCO-White tractors until 2001
(Tractor Data, 2013). AGCO still produces a White planter, but also owns Challenger,
Figure 6.27. The White Farm Equipment Company's logo before being purchased by AGCO
in 1991 (Tractor Data, 2013).
4-H
Albert Graham held the first Boy’s and Girl’s Agricultural Club meeting on
January 15, 1902 in Clark County, Ohio (The Ohio State University Extension, 2012).
The Boy’s and Girl’s Agricultural Club became officially became known as 4-H in 1916
(The Ohio State University Extension, 2012). The 4-H program is now present in all 50
states in the United States and is active in more than eight countries in the world (The
Ohio State University Extension, 2012). Membership is open to all youth aged five
through 19, and membership does not require participants to have an agricultural
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background (The Ohio State University Extension, 2012). The 4-H logo features a white
“H” on each leaf of the clover to represent Head, Heart, Hands and Health, and was
Figure 6.28. The 4-H emblem is a representation of the youth organization's brand
(National 4-H History Preservation Program, 2014).
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Appendix B: Film Evaluation Form
Movie
Title:
Reviewer:
Agricultural
Brands:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Agricultural
Scenery
(not
branded
material):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Agricultural
brands
are
brands
that
are
representative
of
the
agricultural
industry,
such
as
Pioneer,
Purina,
Carhartt,
John
Deere,
etc.
Look
closely
in
the
films
as
sometimes
the
brands
are
not
the
main
focus
of
the
scene.
Write
down
the
length
of
time
the
brand
is
present
on
screen,
the
number
of
times
it
appears,
and
the
time
in
the
movie
the
brand
appears
so
it
is
easy
to
find
again.
If
it
is
possible
to
tell,
state
the
era
of
the
brand
(Is
it
an
antique
tractor
or
a
new
one?).
Also
state
where
on
the
screen
the
brand
appears
(Is
it
front
and
center?
Is
it
in
the
background?
Is
it
being
used
by
the
main
character?).
Agricultural
scenery
is
anything
which
is
not
a
branded
product,
but
is
representative
of
the
agriculture
industry.
An
example
of
this
would
be
aerial
crop
spraying,
crops,
silos,
grain
bins
and
animals.
112