WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN YOU DITCH THE
COASTAL PRETENSE,
FEED YOUR CURIOSITY,
AND WORK YOUR WAY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ONE SMALL TOWN
AT A TIME?
Mother US has offices in Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles, CA positioning us right at ‘the center’ of the creative industry but at the very edges of our country. This creates a cultural chasm between ourselves and the underrepresented and overlooked populations of small town America.
We love these towns (a few of us are from them) and know firsthand how distance weakens our understanding of people’s realities, needs & desires. It impacts the work we do within our industry — marketing that misses the mark, depictions of ‘cool’ that don’t land, ‘aspiration’ that’s alienating, and more. But most importantly, it curbs our understanding of others as people.
Curious as ever, we at Mother partnered with our friends at Nonfiction research and embarked on a journey to see what coastal creative types are missing — straight from the voices of small town Americans living in the Heartland.
HEARTLAND
This is
Part travelogue, part diary of the small American towns between the coasts and those who live in them. A retelling of our research through the anecdotes and experiences of our interviewees and survey respondents. Organized into six themes, carefully stitched together, with love by Mother:
REPRESENTATION • COMMUNITY • VALUES
STATUS • SPACE • PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IS THE HEARTLAND & WHO ARE THE HEARTLANDERS?
A group that hardly ever feels represented and feels left behind by media and brands. Never shown, not respected, and entirely misunderstood.
Where community is a fixture that extends to everyone, not something you create, curate or choose.
Where good old fashioned values are alive and well, respect runs everything and nobody is above anybody. Values are lived, not worn (hear that, brands?)
A place of physical prowess – ingenuity, creativity, experience, fun and freedom are all physical pursuits. A type of status you won’t see on the coasts.
Where wide empty space isn’t boring but an invitation for exploration, permission to play without rules, and the perfect backdrop for casual mischief.
A rich and rewarding world that affords one the perspective to see, observe, and reflect without distraction.
14 WEEKS OF RESEARCH • 26 1 ON 1 CONFESSIONAL INTERVIEWS • 790+ HEARTLANDERS SURVEYED
