John Deere is the oldest consumer brand on the official sponsor list of America250, a nonpartisan commission—the company was founded in 1837, just 61 years after the founding of the United States. This agricultural machinery company has thus become a key component of the American color spectrum, with its yellow-and-green color scheme standing alongside Coca-Cola red and Levi's blue as highly recognizable brand colors. However, with the iconic legacy comes the need to connect with a new generation of consumers against the backdrop of a continuously changing nation.

"We have a lot of brand enthusiasts, and some families have even lived, breathed, farmed, and built farms around John Deere equipment for generations," said Jen Hartman, Director of Global Corporate Reputation and Brand Marketing at John Deere. "We know the brand carries deep emotional connections for many people, and we want to remind people that as technology continues to evolve, our heritage has always been rooted in innovation." Hartman has been with John Deere for nearly two decades and has led public relations, social media, and brand marketing for the past six years. Her tenure as chief marketing officer has spanned not only the pandemic and post-pandemic era but also the company's push into technological innovation, such as the fully autonomous tractor unveiled at CES 2022. John Deere's marketing strategy has always focused on raising awareness of how agricultural work is evolving—and who is doing it.

"We know the younger generation is moving further away from the farm, and brand loyalty is declining. For us, reminding people of our history is a key element in differentiating ourselves from competitors," Hartman said. "It's about celebrating history and also about reinforcing people's trust in the brand."

Baseball and TikTok

To promote brand heritage and reinforce trust, John Deere is bringing the brand to the places and platforms where consumers gather. The company announced a multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) in March, timed to coincide with the nation's 250th anniversary celebration this summer. "Baseball, John Deere, America250—we're just one apple pie short of a partnership. It feels so iconically American," Hartman said.

While there's no apple pie collaboration, John Deere, as the official tractor of MLB, will highlight the labor involved in maintaining ballparks and backyard lawns through digital and linear media. The partnership also includes corporate social responsibility extension programs, a launch video narrated by Kevin Costner, star of Field of Dreams and Million Dollar Arm, and experiential activations during the 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game (Dyersville, Iowa) and MLB All-Star Week (Philadelphia).

"Our archivists are helping prepare for the All-Star showcase, looking back at the various ways Deere has been involved in baseball in some form," Hartman said. "Almost everything you see at a ballpark was made by our customers or people in the industry."

Although baseball is often called America's pastime, there's no denying that TikTok now commands a significant share of consumers' attention. A few years ago, even without an official account, John Deere had already become one of the most mentioned brands on the platform. To avoid diminishing organic user engagement on TikTok, John Deere officially launched its main page in 2024 after a nationwide search for a "Chief Tractor Officer," a role responsible for operating the platform. Unlike the many comedic C-suite short videos launched by marketers in recent years, the Chief Tractor Officer is the brand's TikTok spokesperson, face, and operator—not a fleeting PR stunt.

"We absolutely hit the jackpot with Rex Curtis and the work he does," Hartman said. "He has genuine curiosity about the industries we serve. He has a remarkable ability to get farmers and contractors to tell their stories in a way anyone can understand." In addition to Curtis, John Deere has also hired 10-year-old Jackson Laux as "Chief Tractor Kid" and collaborates with micro-influencers in agriculture to bring the authentic voices of farmers into brand communications.

The American Story

Beyond its partnerships with TikTok and MLB, John Deere is also leveraging the America250 anniversary to highlight its quintessentially American heritage. The brand's annual John Deere Classic golf tournament will take place July 1-5, featuring a military family tribute and American celebration activities throughout the weekend. John Deere is also a partner of Freedom 250, the organization behind the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall, where the brand will display a Model D heritage tractor and an ethanol-powered prototype.

To navigate the potential political risks of the 250th anniversary celebrations—especially as a company that has previously drawn attention from President Trump—John Deere has taken an approach similar to its social media strategy. "We deliberately keep the story customer-centric. If we participate in America250 events, the focus is not on celebrating Deere itself. We go out of our way to ensure it's truly about the builders, farmers, maintenance workers, manufacturing facilities, and factory workers—they're the ones who truly build America," Hartman said. "That's how we differentiate ourselves and perhaps avoid the political divisiveness that can accompany these events and celebrations. Honestly, it seems somewhat counterintuitive that celebrating our nation's 250th anniversary could be political," the executive added.