Iowa State Football Genius Campaign Returns for Year 2

One of the most successful Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) campaigns is back for year two!

Last year, four Iowa State football players partnered with Iowa Pork Producers. Together, the two parties created what Sports Business Journal called the Best NIL Deal of 2023.

The original campaign featured defensive back Myles Purchase, tight end Tyler Moore, defensive lineman Tommy Hamann, and linebacker Caleb Bacon. 

Together, their last names (Purchase, Moore, Hamman, and Bacon) happen to be the perfect form of advertising for the brand. Iowa linebackers Alec Cook and Zach Lovett were also added to the campaign shortly after.

“The Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon promotion exceeded beyond our wildest dreams last year, and we’re thrilled to partner with these student-athletes once again,” said Matt Gent, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “This campaign is such a fun way to encourage people to buy pork, bring some more recognition to these players, and to provide meals to families in need.”

Aside from the promotional videos, Iowa Pork Producers donated $10,000 worth of pork to each player’s food pantry of choice. This amounted to more than 13,300 servings of pork. 

A new and improved campaign

This year, the brand has re-partnered with the six individuals from last year. In addition, they are adding 13 more Iowa State athletes to the campaign.

The pork producers have posted a new commercial to their YouTube channel every week since August. The series of promotions is a continuous saga of Purchase, Moore, and Bacon’s search for Hamann’s replacement. 

The 9-part series concluded just in time for National Pork Month (October). It follows several new Cyclones’ campaigns for why their last name could best fit the brand. Four Iowa State women’s basketball players even appear in one of the videos. 

Below is a mash-up of all the videos.

“We are thrilled to partner with these 19 exceptional student-athletes at Iowa State University to help us promote the pork industry,” said Gent. “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ has been a very popular and successful initiative for us, and we’ve had a lot of fun seeing what new names we could try to fit into the promotion through our series of tryout videos. We’re thankful to all the Cyclones who participated, and to everyone who was inspired to purchase more ham, bacon and other pork products!,” The Farm Journal writes.

Purchase even shared how the publicity of the brand deal personally affected them.

“It’s been a crazy experience having people notice me from a pork promotion, and it’s been fun to be part of for sure,” said Purchase. “Being part of something people have enjoyed so much, and also being able to give back to our communities, is something we care a lot about.”

Exceeding all expectations

Like last year, each participating athlete chose a food bank or pantry to support. Iowa Pork is donating $1,000 to each individual’s selection, plus $16,000 worth of pork to the Iowa Food Bank Association. This is equivalent to almost 50,000 free servings of food.

Hy-Vee, a grocery store chain in the Midwestern and Southern parts of the U.S., are getting involved, too. Two hundred of their locations feature the original NIL campaign on large display boards. They are also giving away 10 Blackstone Griddles and free bacon for a year to 20 recipients.

More information on the giveaway can be found here.

The scale of the deal, plus the creative efforts of those involved, make this campaign one for the books.

Victoria Jonach is an aspiring writer and media analyst fascinated by the activities players participate in off the football field. Growing up in New Jersey, she is a New York Giants fan and attends Rutgers University, pursuing a career in Journalism and Media Studies. She writes for FirstRoundMock.com covering anticipated draft picks and their acts of volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and other interests that shape these individuals.