From the looks of it, cross-country trips are hot like fire this summer. Both Sears and Levi’s have launched grassroots campaigns that follow a journey across America — one by tractor, the other on foot.

The two campaigns have a lot in common. Both narratives revolve around a young, rugged-looking dude. Each campaign used Google Maps and YouTube to help set the scene. And if you were to guess that the marketing strategies for both campaigns involve telling a story about honest, hardworking, all-American products that can endure even the most rigorous wear-and-tear, you’d be right.

Sort of. Turns out only one of these campaigns is the straight story. In a PR stunt that would make Mad Men proud, Levi’s talked the talk but apparently didn’t walk the walk. Still, the end result is a brilliantly crafted campaign — one that arguably outshines Sears’ effort. Which goes to show that sometimes a lie travels faster than the truth in advertising, even if it doesn’t hold up as well over the long haul.

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