The Iowa Pork Producers Association has signed NIL (name, image, likeness) deals with 19 Iowa State University student-athletes, compensating them for their participation in the popular ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ promotion. The athletes helped encourage consumers to buy more pork products like ham and bacon through creative video tryouts.
The participants include members of the Iowa State Cyclone football team, currently ranked 9th in the nation with a 6-0 record, and four athletes from the Cyclone women’s basketball team, which is projected to finish second in the Big 12 Conference this season.
“We are thrilled to partner with these exceptional student-athletes to help promote the pork industry,” said Matt Gent, a pig farmer from Wellman, Iowa, and president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “The ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ campaign has been a tremendous success, and we’re grateful for the Cyclones’ support in making it fun and engaging for consumers.”
Alongside these NIL deals, Iowa Pork is donating $1,000 worth of pork to each participant’s food bank or pantry of choice. In addition, the organization is contributing $16,000 worth of pork to the Iowa Food Bank Association, bringing the total donation to $35,000—equivalent to nearly 50,000 servings of pork to combat food insecurity in Iowa and eight other states.
Linda Gorkow, executive director of the Iowa Food Bank Association, expressed her appreciation for the campaign: “This partnership not only brings attention to the importance of feeding those in need, but also allows these student-athletes to directly contribute to their communities. The support from Iowa Pork has been incredible.”
Players Supporting Their Communities
Here is the full list of the 19 Iowa State athletes and the food banks or pantries they’ve chosen to support:
- Myles Purchase: Food Bank of the Rockies (Denver, CO)
- Tyler Moore: Food Bank of Iowa (Des Moines, IA)
- Tommy Hamann: Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners (Plymouth, MN)
- Caleb Bacon: Lake Mills Food Shelf (Lake Mills, IA)
- Alec Cook: Food Bank for the Heartland (Omaha, NE)
- Zach Lovett: Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
- Abu Sama III: Food Bank of Iowa (Des Moines, IA)
- Isaiah Seymour: St. Theresa Catholic Church Food Bank (Des Moines, IA)
- Wyatt Bohm: Mahomet Helping Hands Food Pantry (Mahomet, IL)
- Trevor Buhr: Loving Hearts Outreach Food Pantry (Washington, MO)
- Stevo Klotz: Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank (Brooklyn Park, MN)
- Xavier Hamilton: River Bend Food Bank (Davenport, IA)
- Audi Crooks: Kossuth County Food Pantry (Algona, IA)
- Kelsey Joens: First Church United Food Pantry (West Liberty, IA)
- Addy Brown: Derby Community Food Pantry (Derby, KS)
- Alisa Williams: Denton Community Food Center (Denton, TX)
- Carson Rhodes: Cubbie’s Cupboard (Nevada, IA)
- Domonique Orange: Food Equality Initiative (Lenexa, KS)
- Logan Bacon: Lake Mills Food Shelf (Lake Mills, IA)
The campaign, organized in collaboration with the We Will Collective, also provided $10,000 to the collective for their assistance in coordinating the student-athletes. Brent Blum, executive director of the We Will Collective, praised the partnership, calling it a “win-win” for the athletes, the pork industry, and local food banks.
A Viral Campaign with National Recognition
The ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ campaign, which launched last September, quickly gained national attention. The latest addition to the promotion, Cyclone freshman walk-on Logan Bacon, captured attention by arriving at his video tryout with a wheelbarrow full of bacon and declaring, “Because you can never have too much bacon!” His enthusiasm earned him a spot in the campaign, joining other football stars like Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann, Caleb Bacon, and Zach Lovett.
This initiative became so popular that it was named the Best NIL Deal of 2023 by the Sports Business Journal.
“I never imagined being part of a pork promotion would get this much attention,” said Myles Purchase, a senior defensive back. “It’s been a fun experience, and the best part is being able to give back to our communities.”
Porktober Promotions
The ‘Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon’ initiative is a key part of Iowa Pork’s efforts during National Pork Month, known as ‘Porktober.’ The promotion is currently featured in 200 Hy-Vee grocery stores across the Midwest. Consumers can enter to win free bacon for a year or a Blackstone Griddle by purchasing pork and scanning their Hy-Vee PERKS card during checkout before October 31.
For more information and to view all of the tryout videos, visit Iowa Pork’s social media channels.
