Western clothing brand Tecovas today, March 10, announced its latest marketing play: a 14-minute short film written and directed by Jeff Nichols, the critically acclaimed filmmaker behind films including “Mud” and “The Bikeriders.” “Love Letter to Texas” stars Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter and actor Ryan Bingham and features actors Michael Shannon and Hassie Harrison, with narration by Hollywood legend Sissy Spacek.
The film will debut at a premiere event featuring the director and cast during the South By Southwest festival, which kicks off March 12, before its public debut on April 7 via Tecovas’ owned channels. But unlike its other ads — including a spot that aired during the Super Bowl — “Love Letter to Texas” is not a traditional ad play, with the brand only named in a title card.
“A 30-second ad can help to move product, but it doesn't always connect with people — hopefully some of ours do — but we think that long-form storytelling is an opportunity to create something that builds more of an emotional connection,” said Samantha Fodrowski, vice president of brand marketing at Tecovas. “It's more of a cultural investment and a way to support storytelling and celebrate the craft that really inspires our brand.”
Shot over four days in and around Marfa, Texas, “Love Letter to Texas” was conceived and concepted by Nichols and Scott Ballew, Tecovas’ vice president of creative. Ballew, a filmmaker in his own right, joined Tecovas in October 2024 after more than eight years at fellow Austin, Texas-based brand Yeti.
“We wanted to hand over the keys to these two creatives themselves to come up with something that really inspires them and can connect culturally and resonate beyond just what traditional marketing or advertising can do,” Fodrowski said.
“Love Letter to Texas” plays in the sandbox of films set in and about Texas, including an opening that serves as a homage to Wim Wenders’ 1984 classic “Paris, Texas.” Bingham stars as Sam, who is first seen walking along train tracks in the desert before being brought back to society by Shannon’s character. During a stay at a motel, Sam leaves his suit and silver dollar but pockets a wad of cash and heads out in a bathrobe and boots before getting fully outfitted.
The film then follows along as he hires on as a handyman for a single mom and her son, who soon become a family. Black-and-white flashbacks show the oil field riches Sam earned before gambling and boozing away his money and ending up in the desert.
“Texas is so much a part of our DNA that we really wanted to invest in something that really takes steps beyond traditional marketing and we didn't want to approach this like a campaign or an ad,” Fodrowski said.
A big game breather
That is not to say that Tecovas is opposed to traditional ads: The brand ran a 30-second spot, “True West,” that aired on Peacock during the big game broadcast and represented a “big swing” for the brand, which was founded in 2015.
“This was a really good opportunity for us as a brand to continue to make an introduction,” Fodrowski said. “We're still relatively young and new as a brand, but we think that… the Western values of grit and confidence are something that can be relatable to anyone, so we wanted to use the Super Bowl as an opportunity for a brand-building moment.”
“True West,” which draws from a similar stylistic well as “Love Letter to Texas” and was directed by Ballew, looks to welcome new consumers to the brand. “The true West has no fences,” the ad says in voice-over. “We may not need more people in the West, but would it hurt to have a little more West in the people?” The subtle, cinematic ad played as a contrast to a night of ads dominated by celebrities and eye-popping creative.
“We wanted to give people a quick breather of a moment to really dream into this West that we've created visually, and I think that's really the impetus for all of the creative that our team is looking to create,” Fodrowski said. “We have a North Star that we speak to regularly as a team and as a company, which is ‘honor the West and craft its future.’”
For Tecovas, spots like “True West” and the new short film are a breath of fresh air not just from contemporary advertising, but from the entire attention economy.
“In this world of AI and being very quick to consume content, we have an opportunity to really stand for the values that the West represents, and that means sometimes slowing down and doing things the right way, and giving people something to really chew into a little bit more than just scrolling on your phone,” Fodrowski said.
“We’re not saying ‘don't consume media in this way,’ but if we have an opportunity to introduce something that is a bit more thought provoking, how do we use this as a launching pad? How do we create even more from here?”
