Gender Constructions in a Ford F-150 Commercial
Violent Masculinity, American Superiority, and Working Class Appeal
The 2009 Ford F-150 commercial titled "Way of Life" is narrated by a white male, Denis Leary, who speaks confidently and uses slang words such as “ain’t”. He sounds aggressive, almost like he is ranting. As he speaks, the words crash into each other, moving quickly in and out of the scene.
The text is in all caps and in a grungy font, evoking associations of dirt and hard work. The color scheme is overwhelmingly brown, yellow, and white, colors associated with masculinity as well as the military and the outdoors.
All scenes appear outside, some in the wilderness, none in the traditionally feminine domain of the home. The Ford slogan, “Built Ford Tough,” and the end clip of a steel Ford emblem smashing into dirt and cracking the ground, both also reinforce this violent masculinity.
Working Class Appeal
This commercial is designed to appeal especially to working-class men. It begins, “OK. Odds are if you’re one of the people in America with a pickup truck, it ain’t a luxury, it’s a way of life. And chances are you’re not making money pushing a pencil, or hand modeling. You’re actually working for every dollar and need your truck.”
This excludes white-collar men, implying they aren’t really working for their money— and by extension, that they aren’t as masculine. The reference to hand modeling implies that delicate, attractive hands are useless and un-masculine.
A diamond shatters next to a truck, implying that Ford trucks (and by extension, their owners) are stronger than even diamonds, and that strength conquers aesthetics or feminine decoration.
American Superiority
The commercial also upholds the idea of American superiority, as it exalts strength, power, and adventurousness. “It ain’t just about numbers and brute strength,” the narrator reels off. “It’s about doing things no truck has ever done before.” The commercial implies that the truck not only has superior numbers, but is also innovative and courageous.
Bravery and adventurousness are historically American values, and are highly tied to masculinity. The commercial lists a litany of ideal truck qualities and boasts, “well, the eagle has landed.” This phrase refers to Neil Armstrong’s famous quote upon landing Apollo 11 on the moon, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the moon, fulfilling President John F. Kennedy’s goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s. The bald eagle is also the national bird of the United States and is recognized as a symbol of the country, appearing on many official seals and some coins.
Evoking traditional American symbols may reassure workers who feel threatened by an increasingly global economy. It also reminds viewers that the Ford Motor Company is an American company, and also associates Ford with the positive, masculine qualities suggested by the commercial.
Sports
Although the commercial claims “It ain’t just about numbers and brute strength, it’s about doing things no truck has ever done before,” it later mentions, “And oh yeah, guess what? Towing, payload, mileage – nobody’s got better numbers. The truck game has officially changed and your unfair advantage is right here.”
This casts truck ownership as a game, alluding to the American male obsession with sports. It is also explicitly competitive, promising the best numbers and an “unfair advantage.” Sports and competitiveness are both associated with masculinity. Ford’s use of military colors, the symbol of the eagle, and allusions to “the truck game” and a promise of the best truck statistics incorporate both of these symbols of manliness.
Way of Life
“Way of Life” promotes not only a truck, but a traditionally masculine, worker-class, American way of life: rugged, tough, competitive, and adventurous. This commercial probably does not appeal to women; none of the imagery or colors is identifiable as remotely feminine. Rather, the commercial likely reinforces female disinterest in trucks by buttressing the notion of the truck “game” as a male domain.
Male blue-collar workers, however, may enjoy being glorified and likely would feel compelled to uphold the strong, tough image portrayed in the commercial. And perhaps — as Ford undoubtedly hopes – they will be tempted to buy a new F-150, to attain this rugged, aggressive “way of life.”
Analyzing Ford F-150 Commercials
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Violent Masculinity in the Media
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Eagles Suggest American Superiority
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