And now for something fun and light-hearted to make sure you understand how serious the planet health message is. American actor and comedian, Nick Offerman plays the ground in a commercial for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Generations of chemicals and tilling have left me spent and lifeeless…right out flaky,” he says.
The answer is cover crops. The commercials’ job is to motivate the US public to urge Congress to support the COVER Act as lawmakers negotiate a new Farm Bill to replace the current law, which was last adopted in 2018. The COVER Act would incentivise farmers to plant cover crops by offering them a $5-per-acre savings on their crop insurance bills – just as an auto insurer can reward good drivers with a discount.
The Face Plant campaign’s quirky, attention-grabbing visual idea comes from Incredible Beast Omnimedia founding partner, Sandra Itkoff and was brought to life by creative agencies Upshot and AMP Agency. It was produced by Incredible Beast and directed by Morgan Sackett.
Regenerative agriculture practices, including cover cropping, build soil health and fight climate change. They maintain roots in the soil, which sequester legacy carbon from the atmosphere, prevent soil erosion, percolate water quickly, protect waterways from pollution, increase soil fertility, and help farmers reduce their use of harmful chemicals and synthetic inputs, saving money. Currently, however, only about 5% of America’s cropland utilises cover crops.
The campaign asks people to go to nrdc.org/soil to learn more about cover cropping and climate-friendly agriculture in the Farm Bill.
“Incredible Beast’s goal is to not preach to the choir,” stated Itkoff, “but to present strong, optimistic, entertaining narratives that show the power of food and farming to address food security and climate issues – and pull large amounts of legacy carbon from the atmosphere. It is an incredible opportunity to bring the talents of Nick and Morgan, both from farming families, together with NRDC to help build a better future.”
“We never doubted Nick’s dedication to protecting the earth, but it wasn’t until we saw him buried up to his neck in soil that we realised this is truly a mission for him,” quipped Michael Rivera, chief creative officer at AMP and Upshot. “With Nick’s comedic turn in the dirt, our goal is to ignite a conversation about farming practices and the value for everyone of more sustainable practices like planting cover crops.”
The spot launched during Climate Week NYC, starting on September 20, across various social-media platforms.
“Agricultural policy issues can really get in the weeds, pun intended, so we are enormously grateful to have Nick Offerman bring his talent, witty humour, and unique perspective to this piece,” commented Arohi Sharma, deputy director, regenerative agriculture, nature program at NRDC. “Cover crops are one of the best tools we have to improve soil health and fight climate change on farms, and this new video couldn’t be better timed. Congress made historic investments in climate and agriculture through the Inflation Reduction Act, and by including the COVER Act in the next Farm Bill, we can supercharge those investments and help farmers become climate champions.”
Credits:
Client: NRDC
Creative Agency: AMP Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Michael Rivera
Executive Creative Director: James Hough
Creative Director: Eric Sutton
Copywriter: Reid Flynn
Chief Client Officer: Lisa Hurst
Account Director: Jessica Dancewicz
Account Handling: Erin Grunbeck
Project Manager: Rachel Caufield
Product Director: Brett O’Bourke
Content Producer: Kelly Vanwart
Strategy Director: Udayan Kolandra
Creative Agency: Upshot Studios
Production Company: Incredible Beast Omnimedia
Founder: Sandra Itkoff
Director: Morgan Sackett
Executive Producer: Dean Holland
Director Of Photography: David Miller
Production Designer: Ian Phillips
Producer: Nate Young
Costume Designer: Alexis Jacks
Makeup Artist: Kate Mullin
