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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →“Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” turned four Iowa State football players’ surnames into a pork-buying message—and a viral social post into a season-long Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) campaign. Iowa Pork Producers Association built on the wordplay with athlete-led videos, then extended the idea into Hy-Vee stores in 2024. The association and its agency reported millions of views and major awards, though the available figures measure different things and are not accompanied by an independent measurement methodology.
How did the campaign begin?
The idea grew out of a football-season coincidence. On September 2, 2023, Iowa State opened its season against Northern Iowa. A photo of defensive lineman Tommy Hamann alongside linebacker Caleb Bacon prompted social users to notice the phrase “Hamann Bacon.” Agriculture.com reported that Iowa Pork staff developed the joke into a campaign involving four Iowa State players: Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon. Their surnames could be read as the message “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon”—a playful call to buy more ham and bacon. Agriculture.com’s account describes the first larger campaign image as featuring the players with a large ham and 14 pounds of bacon; that detail refers to the image, not to a quantity used throughout the campaign.
The association’s president, Iowa pig farmer Aaron Juergens, later said producers were “thrilled with the response” and praised the people involved. Joyce Hoppes, Iowa Pork’s consumer information director, told Agriculture.com, “We were amazed by how it went and how it ended up going viral.”
How did a viral post become an NIL campaign?
Iowa Pork says the NIL initiative began in September 2023. The association took the surname joke beyond a single post by putting the four players at the center of short video skits. In the videos, they acted as judges while teammates tried out to join the campaign. Alec Cook and Zach Lovett were later added to the cast. Iowa Pork’s campaign description documents the format and its expansion.
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The idea fit the sponsor naturally: the players’ names made the pork message memorable without needing a separate fictional slogan or mascot. Athlete participation also gave the joke a recurring cast, letting Iowa Pork develop it into an ongoing NIL promotion rather than treating the viral moment as a one-off. The campaign was produced with agency Meyocks, which describes a nine-week video series alongside Hy-Vee promotions and giveaways. Meyocks’ case study identifies its role.
What changed in the 2024 campaign?
For the 2024 season, Iowa Pork announced a renewed run of episodic videos with additional student participants. It also took the campaign into grocery retail: the association said displays would appear in 200 Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest. The 2024 season announcement describes the retail rollout.
Hy-Vee linked the creative to a purchase-based promotion. During the announced entry period, customers had to buy pork at participating stores and scan a Hy-Vee PERKS card to enter for a chance to win one of 10 Blackstone griddles or free bacon for a year; the latter prize was offered to 20 recipients. The stated entry period ran through October 31, 2024, so this was a dated promotion, not an offer that can be assumed to remain active. Iowa Pork’s announcement gives the promotion details.
What campaign results can be cited?
The reported figures cover separate measures and sources. Views on individual social posts are not the same as agency-reported post impressions or shares, and none of the cited campaign figures comes with a published measurement methodology in the sources reviewed.
| Reported result | Source and qualification |
|---|---|
| More than 2.6 million views | Iowa Pork Producers Association, reporting in 2023, for its original X post. Association announcement. |
| More than 3.4 million views | Iowa Pork Producers Association, reporting in 2023, for a separate ESPN SportsCenter X post—not the original Iowa Pork post. Association announcement. |
| 89,387 post impressions | Meyocks’ campaign case study; publication year is not stated in the case-study result. Impressions are not unique people reached. Agency case study. |
| 2,079 shares across social platforms | Meyocks’ campaign case study; publication year is not stated in the case-study result. Agency case study. |
| 4,106% increase in average impressions per post across social | Meyocks’ campaign case study; publication year is not stated in the case-study result. The case study reports an increase, but the result available here does not provide a measurement methodology. Agency case study. |
| $10,000 worth of pork donated, representing more than 13,300 servings | Iowa Pork Producers Association, reporting in 2023; six players selected the food pantries that received the donations. Association announcement. |
These figures support a clear account of attention and charitable activity, but not a verified estimate of unique audience, sales lift or return on investment. Those outcomes are not established by the cited campaign figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which awards did the campaign win?
Iowa Pork says Sports Business Journal named the initiative Best NIL Deal of 2023. In April 2025, the association announced that the campaign had been named Best of NAMA Grand Champion and won Best of Show for consumer communications. Its announcement says the National Agri-Marketing Association judged 950 entries across more than 60 categories. The 2025 award announcement provides the NAMA context.
The combination helps explain the campaign’s recognition: a genuine football-name coincidence supplied a simple, sponsor-relevant hook; players carried it through repeatable video content; and the 2024 work connected social promotion to a specific retail display and purchase-based activation. The awards establish recognition in their respective competitions, not independently audited proof of sales impact.
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