After a 14-week, immersive road trip across small-town America, we learned people in the Heartland feel disrespected, unrepresented, and misunderstood by advertising and media. Instead of focusing on the problem, we turned the spotlight on the truth – what folks in these towns do for fun, what’s important, how they’re showing up for their communities and redefining creativity– to start building a bridge between marketers and the Heartland. In this presentation, we’ll unpack who this vibrant group is as people, not issues. We’ll lean into the positivity and optimism that’s often overlooked and explore how real culture exists in the in-between.