The NIL we need: Pork sellers turn to Iowa State football to Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon

An Iowa State University football photo that sparked roughly 64,000 views this month on the messaging app formerly known as Twitter sparked an all-out marketing campaign urging consumers to buy more pork.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association says it's reached agreements with ISU Cyclone football players Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon to use their names, images and likenesses in a pork marketing campaign called: “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon.”

The marketing campaign was spurred by a photo caught during ISU's opener with the University of Northern Iowa that shows Hamann standing with Bacon. Football fan Jacob Ross urged Iowa Pork on the app now known as X to get a deal done. And it did.

In the commercial, Purchase, Moore and Hamann "throw," "bite" and hold a plate of chunky hams, while Bacon holds a handful of, yup, bacon.

"After the ‘Hamann Bacon’ photo went viral on social media ... we knew we had to jump on this opportunity,” Trish Cook, Iowa Pork Producers president, said in a statement.

“These four young men are not only great football players, they also have strong academic records and great last names," Cook said.

The Clive industry group said it paid $1,000 to each player and is donating $1,000 worth of pork to the food pantry of each player's choice.

Iowa Pork said it would run the commercial on social media sites during October, considered National Pork Month — or Porktober.

For their scholarly achievements as well as pigskin prowess, Purchase, Moore and Bacon were named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2022. Hamann was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll last year.

Moore, at tight end, is a redshirt sophomore from Des Moines; Purchase, a defensive back, is a junior from Denver; Hamann, a redshirt defensive end, is a freshman from Minneapolis; and linebacker Bacon is a sophomore from Lake Mills in Winnebago County.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa pork producers use viral ISU football photo in marketing campaign