Illinois Farm Families ‘We are the 96%’ Campaign Ad Wins National Award

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Farm Families (IFF) coalition won a Best of Show award in the consumer category last week at the National Agri-Marketing Association 2024 AgriMarketing Conference in Kansas City. The Best of NAMA awards program honors the best of the best work in ag communications; companies and agencies must first qualify through regional competition to advance to the national level.

The Best of Show award was given for a 30-second commercial first aired during the Super Bowl 2023 as the official kickoff of the We Are the 96% campaign produced by IFF. The commercial titled "The Corporation," features Illinois farmer Chad Bell and his family. The video juxtaposes the family farm against a typical corporation, giving Bell's 7-year-old son the title of "Procurement" and the family dog the position of "Human Resources."

"There's a big misconception in agriculture that the family farm is gone and everything now is corporate farming and things aren't the way it used to be," said Bell, a sixth-generation farmer who, along with his family, raises pigs, corn, soybeans, hay and wheat on their Viola farm. "Yes, farming has changed. Farms have gotten larger and there are fewer farmers, but in the end, the vast majority of farms - 96 percent of farms in Illinois - are still made up of families, even if they look a little different today."

The We Are the 96% campaign featured 25 farm families from across Illinois doing the things that families do - mentoring their kids, teaching new skills, going to work, and coming home - but in a rural Illinois setting. The campaign's goal is to help people not involved in agriculture understand that most farms are run by families that aren't that different from their own.

"We're very honored to have been part of this campaign," said Bell. "I'm really happy to be somebody who can help promote Illinois farm families through this campaign and on social media to help others realize that we are the family farm and we're still alive and kicking." Bell shares his passion for his everyday life on the farm on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Illinois farmers from six different commodity groups and ag associations pool their dollars to engage with the non-farm audience in Illinois. The We Are the 96% campaign is one example of this important work, but IFF coordinates many other programs in Chicago, hoping to build trust in farmers and their farming practices.

"The campaign highlights Illinois farmers' commitment to providing safe and healthy food for everyone. Many consumers don't have a complete understanding of who produces their food or assume that large corporations are operating farms from afar. The We Are the 96 campaign halts that narrative to show that on Illinois farms, consumers will find families that are just like theirs," said Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) District 7 Director and Treasurer Bryan Severs. "ISA is proud to have been involved in the campaign and extends its congratulations to IFF on receiving this well-deserved award"

IFF and the We Are the 96% campaign also won the following Best of NAMA awards:

• First place - Consumer-facing social media for the Weare the96social media campaign
• First place - Consumer-facing ad element category for the "The Corporation" TV spot
• Merit award - Consumer-facing website category for the Wearethe96.orgwebsite presence

• Merit award - Public relations audio/video feature or testimonial category for the We are the 96 behind-the-scenes video

IFF thanks our agency partner MorganMyers for bringing the passion and authenticity of Illinois family farmers to life.

Illinois Farm Families is a coalition of the Illinois Beef Association, IL Corn, Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, and Midwest Dairy. Their strategic mission is to increase consumer confidence in Illinois farmers and their farming practices by connecting shared values and enhancing understanding of agriculture.

The National Agri-Marketing Association is the premier organization for agri-marketing professionals, providing education and insights that position NAMA's 3,500 members for success and equip them to deliver greater value for their companies and employers in a rapidly changing world.

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The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and government relations efforts, while the membership program, Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) and the Illinois Soybean Growers PAC actively advocates for positive and impactful legislation for farmers at local, state and national levels. ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean farmers through promotion, advocacy, research and education with the vision of becoming a trusted partner of Illinois soybean farmers to ensure their profitability now and for future generations. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.

Media Contact

Michael Whitmer
Illinois Soybean Association
(309) 391-2091
[email protected]

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