John Mellencamp is bringing his “Small Town” roots to the big screen in a new advertisement for Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign that was rolled out today (Feb. 5). The endorsement features his No. 6 Billboard Hot 100 hit playing in the background of clips featuring Bloomberg paying visits to rural communities across the United States and thanking them for their nationwide contributions.
“The stakes are too high to not nominate the candidate who will take the fight directly to Trump,” said Mellencamp in a press statement. “From small towns to big cities, Mike Bloomberg has the experience to represent all Americans. He’s a job creator, philanthropist, and true public servant, and I am confident that as president, he will restore America to a place we can be proud of once again.”
Mellencamp doesn’t just sing about “small towns” — he’s lived that life since birth, while continuing to lay down his roots in Indiana. He co-founded Farm Aid in 1985, holding annual concerts for the last 35 years to raise awareness and funds for family farms that are struggling to keep their land. His heartland rock movement puts family farms and blue-collar workers on a far-reaching pedestal, a similar tactic in Bloomberg’s fight to advocate for and revitalize rural America.
“John Mellencamp is one of the great voices of the American heartland — and the American experience that binds us together,” Bloomberg said in the statement. “His words — from co-founding Farm Aid to fighting hunger and homelessness among veterans — represents America at its best.”
Bloomberg continued, “We had the opportunity to get to know one another through the film, From the Ashes. He contributed a powerful song to the soundtrack, and the film raised awareness about the tragic toll that coal mining takes on local communities. He’s an American treasure, and I couldn’t be more honored to accept his support.”
In the From the Ashes documentary, which was released in 2017 and produced by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mellencamp recorded a special version of Merle Travis’ track “Dark as a Dungeon” that describes “the harsh and dangerous conditions that coal miners experienced every day,” according to the film’s website.
Watch Bloomberg’s new campaign ad below.