Stellantis parts ways with TRG, which made Super Bowl classic ‘Farmer’ for Ram

Stellantis has parted ways with TRG, formerly known as The Richards Group, whose workload for the automaker had included the Ram account, which the agency held for 15 years. Ram creative assignments will be “consolidated to existing agency resources,” according to a Stellantis spokesperson. Stellantis creative roster shops include Doner and Highdive. Also read: One in four top advertisers plan agency consolidations “After a more than decade-long partnership that inspired award-winning work, including the Ram brand’s critically acclaimed ‘Farmer’ commercial that continues to be called one of the best Super Bowl commercials ever, the Ram Brand and Dallas-based advertising agency The Richards Group have amicably decided to end their AOR relationship as the Ram Brand enters a new era with its industry-changing trucks and vans,” Stellantis Global Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Francois said in a statement. Super Bowl commercials Tracking the latest brand and agency plans Enter here Ram was one of the few big-name clients that stuck by TRG amid backlash in 2020 stemming from a racist remark made by founder Stan Richards in a meeting with Motel 6. The hotel chain fired the agency, which also then lost accounts including Home Depot, Keurig Dr Pepper, Orkin, H.E.B. and Advance Auto Parts. Richards later stepped down and the agency attempted to repair its reputation by rebranding itself TRG. Before the name change, TRG named its first chief creative officer, Sue Batterton, to take on duties previously held by its founder. “We could not be prouder of the work we have done with Stellantis’s global portfolio including Ram Trucks, Ram Commercial, Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, and Alfa Romeo,” TRG CEO Glenn Dady, CEO, said in a statement. “Our work together has won acclaim and awards and includes one of the most consequential Super Bowl ads of all time, ‘Farmer,’ which helped propel Ram to become one of the best-selling trucks in America. We wish Stellantis a future that sustains the successes we achieved together, and we are thankful for the 15 years of partnership.” TRG’s current client list includes Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, The Southeastern Conference (SEC), World’s Best Cat Litter and National Vision. The agency employs about 300 people. The Richards Group won Ram in 2009. Four years later it created 2013’s highly acclaimed “Farmer” Super Bowl spot, which featured stills of farmers and rural landscapes, set to audio of radio legend Paul Harvey’s “So God Made a Farmer” speech at the 1978 Future Farmers of America convention. Ram, however, did not exclusively work with TRG; Highdive handled last year’s Super Bowl ad for the electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck. The agency consolidation comes as Stellantis has cut costs across its business. The automaker will sit out the Super Bowl this year, it previously confirmed. It also did not participate in CES and will not have a presence at February’s Chicago Auto Show. Stellantis U.S. sales dipped 1.1% in the fourth quarter, although Ram edged up 3.5%. ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified the voiceover in Ram’s Farmer ad.

Stellantis parts ways with TRG, which made Super Bowl classic ‘Farmer’ for Ram

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