John Deere is the oldest consumer brand amid the list of official sponsors of the nonpartisan America250 commission, with its establishment in 1837 following the founding of the country by just 61 years. In kind, the agriculture machinery company has been a key part of the American palette, with its yellow and green next to Coca-Cola red and Levi’s blue as highly recognizable brand colors. But with its iconic heritage comes the need to connect with new generations of consumers as the country continues to change.
“We have so many brand fans, and even families, who have lived, breathed, died and built their farms around John Deere equipment,” said Jen Hartmann, global director of corporate reputation and brand marketing at John Deere. “We know that our brand has a really emotional connection to a lot of people, and we want to be sure that as the world evolves in this technology space, we remind people our heritage has always been about innovation.”
Hartmann has been at John Deere for nearly two decades and has been leading public relations, social media and brand marketing for the last six years. Her time as the chief marketer has overlapped not just with the pandemic and post-pandemic era, but with the company’s push into technological innovation, like the fully autonomous tractors it introduced at CES in 2022. John Deere’s marketing has focused on recognizing how work on the farm is evolving — and who is doing the work.
“We know that younger generations are moving away from the farm. Younger generations are not as brand loyal, and for us, we know it's important to remind [people] that our history is something that differentiates us from our competitors,” Hartmann said. “It's as much about celebrating our history as it is about strengthening trust people have in the brand.”
Baseball and TikTok
To market its heritage and strengthen trust, John Deere is bringing its brand to the places and platforms where consumers spend their time. The company in March announced a new multi-year deal with Major League Baseball that was timed to this summer’s celebration of America’s semiquincentennial.
“Baseball, John Deere, America's 250th — all we needed was an apple pie partnership. It just felt so iconically American,” Hartmann said.
In lieu of a pastry tie-up, the official tractor of MLB will highlight the work that goes into maintaining ballfields and backyards across digital and linear media. The partnership also includes corporate social responsibility extensions, a launch video voiced by “Field of Dreams” and “Bull Durham” star Kevin Costner, and experiential activations during the 2026 MLB Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa and MLB All-Star Week in Philadelphia.
“Our archivist is helping us with the [All-Star] display, harking back to all the ways Deere has been involved, in some way, shape or form, with baseball,” Hartmann said. “Almost everything you see at a ball field is created by one of our customers or someone in the industry.”
While baseball is often referred to as the country’s favorite pastime, few would deny that TikTok commands a healthy share of consumers' attention these days. A few years ago, John Deere was one of the top brands mentioned on the platform, even without an official page. In an effort not to undermine the organic activity on TikTok, John Deere launched its profile in 2024 after searching for a Chief Tractor Officer to run it. Unlike the rash of comedic C-suite spots that marketers have rolled out in the last few years, the Chief Tractor Officer is the voice, face and owner of the brand’s TikTok — not a brief PR play.
“We absolutely hit the lottery with [Rex Curtiss] and the work he's done,” Hartmann said. “He's genuinely curious about the industries that we serve. He has an incredible way of talking to farmers and contractors that allows them to talk about the work they do in a way anyone can understand.”
Along with Curtiss, John Deere has enlisted 10-year-old Jackson Laux as its Chief Tractor Kid and worked with micro-influencers in the agricultural space to bring farmers’ authentic voices into the mix.
American stories
In addition to its tie-ups with TikTok and the MLB, John Deere is using America’s 250th birthday as an opportunity to celebrate its all-American bona fides. The brand’s annual John Deere Classic golf tournament runs July 1-5 and will feature a military family tribute and other celebrations of America throughout the weekend. John Deere is also a partner with Freedom 250, the organization behind the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, where the brand will showcase a Model D heritage tractor alongside an ethanol-powered prototype.
To avoid the potential political pitfalls associated with the 250th anniversary — especially as a brand that has previously been in President Trump’s crosshairs — John Deere is using a similar approach to its social media strategy.
“We've made a concerted effort to keep the story customer-centric. If we are at an event for America's 250th, it is not about celebrating Deere. We are doing everything we can to make sure this is really about how the builders, farmers, maintenance workers, manufacturing facilities and factory workers are actually the ones helping build America,” Hartmann said.
“That's how we've differentiated ourselves, and maybe prevented some of the political fray that can come with these activations and these celebrations. In all sincerity, the fact a celebration of our 250th anniversary is political seems slightly counterintuitive,” the executive added.
