Hy-Vee’s NIL Promotion Highlights Iowa Pork
Grocer Hy-Vee has joined forces with the Clive-based Iowa Pork Producers Association to encourage consumers to "Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon." Large displays in 200 Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest feature the viral NIL (name, image, likeness) promotion with Iowa State Cyclone football players.
“Our goal is to promote the pork industry and encourage consumers to buy more pork, and this is a fantastic way to do it,” said Iowa Pork Producers Association President Matt Gent, who is also a pig farmer from Wellman, Iowa. “The football players have been fantastic to work with and helped us shine a spotlight on our industry. Bringing Hy-Vee into the campaign to generate more pork sales will benefit hardworking farmers across the Midwest.”
The Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon promotion initially launched in September 2023 and quickly went viral across social media. A photo of Iowa State Cyclone football players Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon strategically posed with a large ham and huge pile of bacon was seen by more than 20 million people on X. The partnership gained national attention, earning the Best NIL Deal of 2023 award from the Sports Business Journal.
The social media campaign returns for the 2024 season, with more students joining the cast. The first in a series of episodic videos featuring Purchase, Moore, Hamann and Bacon, as well as Cyclones Alec Cook and Zach Lovett, launched Monday, Aug. 26.
In a series of videos released every Monday at 10 a.m., several other Cyclone student athletes participate in tryouts for the campaign, to see if they fit into the Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon mantra. The episodic series will conclude on Monday, Oct. 7, just in time to celebrate National Pork Month, a.k.a. “Porktober.”
In conjunction with the NIL partnership, the Iowa Pork Producers Association will donate $1,000 worth of pork to a food pantry chosen by every student that appears in the Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon videos. Those donations will also contribute to Hy-Vee’s 100 Million Meals Challenge to provide hunger relief across the United States.
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“This fun and engaging campaign brings more attention to the offerings we have in our stores and the many ways we support farmers across the Midwest,” said Jason Pride, VP of meat and seafood at Hy-Vee. “We also appreciate the Iowa Pork Producers Association for supporting our efforts to alleviate food insecurity in our communities. This campaign is a win-win for everyone.”
In conjunction with the promotion, Hy-Vee is conducting giveaways of 10 Blackstone Griddles and free bacon for a year to 20 recipients. To qualify, consumers simply need to purchase pork at any of the 200 participating Hy-Vee stores between now and October 31 and scan their Hy-Vee Perks card at checkout. Hy-Vee operates grocery stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Employee-owned Hy-Vee operates more than 570 business units across eight Midwestern states, with sales of more than $13 billion annually. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company is No. 38 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
