It is rare for me to pay much attention to any commercial on television. There are times that I think they are too silly. There are times that I think the volume goes up dramatically during commercials. And no one in our house has turned the volume up. The commercials were actually made that way. Too loud…on purpose. As a teacher, I certainly do not like “this loud on purpose” business…especially on our own television. Loud commercials sort of drive me crazy…too intrusive.

That is why the Matthew McConaughey commercials for Lincoln vehicles stopped me in my tracks. Ok…I sort of think that he is cool regardless of the commercials. The commercials began about two years ago and were very different. They were quiet and made me stop and listen.  The first one that I saw was for a Lincoln MKC SUV. The actor was driving on a freeway in Austin TX. I recognized the location immediately. Later, I realized that Matthew had adlibbed the entire commercial. What do you know? A real commercial from a real person set in a very forward thinking city like Austin.

The reason that I absolutely know that Matthew is a real person who is actually very kind is because we are from the same hometown… Longview, TX. We both graduated from Longview High School although my graduation was about 20 or 21 years before his. I know people who knew him then and he was much the same. The young Matthew McConaughey  was a good-looking free spirit, very smart, ambitious, and friendly to everyone he met even as a teenager.

After graduation, he attended and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. My husband also graduated from UT-Austin. We have seen Matthew at several Longhorn football games…pacing the sidelines near the coaches. He is a serious and dedicated fan. He was discovered in Austin and was cast in the movie, Dazed and Confused. The rest is history… as they say.

When I saw those commercials and the remaining Lincoln commercials, I immediately liked those cars. I thought at the time…am I ever going to grow up? Liking something because of a movie star?! Please!! But thinking again, someone who I knew led a life that deserved respect was endorsing a long-time company. He certainly did not need the money. Plus, he completed the commercials his way…not following a script. I do truly admire that type of individuality. OK…I thought maybe I would at least look at the cars.

Actually, we were in the market for a new car for me and I had been looking at several SUV types for about a year. At the next Fort Worth Auto Show, I sat in every, single SUV. The Lincoln MKC really was my favorite. Last August, we went to a DFW dealership, drove the MKC, negotiated a terrific deal, and bought it. Fortunately, it was not more expensive than any other SUV that I was considering. All new cars cost too much these days. Nevertheless…

We saw the commercials. They made sense to us. We were drawn to the car by Matthew McConaughey. We bought because the company is trustworthy. And because a small town Texas boy has used his talents to the very best of his ability and still remembers where he came from. I like that idea a lot.

 Matthew McConaughey…Longview High School yearbook picture.