U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance's® documentary support helps shift consumer perception of Ag
"Lights, Camera, Farmland! The FARMLAND documentary, produced by award winning director James Moll, took top billing in the PR Week Awards' Arts, Entertainment & Media Campaign of the Year category. The national film release was supported and led by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA®). The FARMLAND campaign received the honor in New York on March 19th. According to the PR Week entry, the annual PR Week Awards recognizes creative excellence in public relations programming and are viewed by the public relations industry as one of the highest honors.
FARMLAND achieved enormous reach and continues to be an effective consumer communications tool. The film help to create a positive shift in consumer and media perception of modern U.S. agriculture. FARMLAND was accepted into five film festivals, debuted in 170 movie theatres selling more than 11,000 tickets-84% above the estimate, earned a 93% positive rating on RottenTomatoes.com, and with the support of USFRA partner organizations, has been screened more than 1,000 times. Surveys found that 53% of the primary target audience was aware of the documentary, and 46% were familiar with the organization, a 91% increase from 2013.
"USFRA is proud to be recognized by PR Week," said USFRA CEO Randy Krotz. "We couldn't have achieved what we have without the vision of Director James Moll and his team, the support of numerous individuals including present and former staff, USFRA's board members who immediately embraced the opportunity and many, many others. USFRA is committed to taking the message of farmers and ranchers to unexpected places, as we did with FARMLAND, and we will strive to look for innovative and unique ideas that will continue to foster consumer dialogue around food in America."
"I also want to express a special thank you to those who have hosted a FARMLAND screening in their local community or attended a screening event," continued Krotz, "and extend a personal invitation for those who have yet to see the film, to do so. It is imperative to get the film in front of consumers who have questions about how we produce our food, and we call on the entire agricultural community to help us do this."
FARMLAND had a strong online presence generating nearly than 62 million impressions and earning more than 463 national media placements. Today the film is available through digital platforms and the DVD can be purchased at select Walmart retail stores, at Walmart.com, Amazon.com and can be rented via Netflix.
"Brilliantly done," added a judge in an article from PR Week. "This asset will live on for a long, long time."
3.25.2015