Yeo Valley Uses Rapping Farmers to Push Organic Onto Bigger Stage (VIDEO) | Civil Eats

Yeo Valley Uses Rapping Farmers to Push Organic Onto Bigger Stage (VIDEO)

When Yeo Valley Organic in the UK set to make an ad about their dairy products, they wanted to inspire people to pronounce the name correctly (it’s pronounced “yo”) and to get people talking about the brand. Of course, this led them to rapping about “cows, tractors and wax jackets” in a much talked about two minute music video.

“We really want to put ourselves on the map,” said Ben Cull from Yeo Valley Organic. “People know us as ‘Yeo’ and we want people to know what that stands for–it’s a real place, and we want people to know what we look like.”

Here’s a taste of the video’s raps: “I’m rolling in my Massey on a summer’s day/ drinking cold milk while I’m bailing hay/ Yeo Valley’s approach is common sense/ harmony in nature takes precedence.” The video is catchy, and well produced by director Julian Lutz–for whom this was the first time working on an ad with farmers. Perhaps this goes to show that sustainable food is going mainstream?

The ad debuted on October 9th, and has since garnered over 570,000 views on YouTube. Watch it below and gives us your thoughts in the comment section: Do you think these kinds of branding strategies are effective? How do you think utilizing branding and advertising in this way impacts the food movement? Do you think similar campaigns would work in the U.S.?

Here is the making-of video. Watch:

We’ll bring the news to you.

Get the weekly Civil Eats newsletter, delivered to your inbox.

Today’s food system is complex.

Invest in nonprofit journalism that tells the whole story.

Paula Crossfield is a founder and the Editor-at-large of Civil Eats. She is also a co-founder of the Food & Environment Reporting Network. Her reporting has been featured in The Nation, Gastronomica, Index Magazine, The New York Times and more, and she has been a contributing producer at The Leonard Lopate Show on New York Public Radio. An avid cook and gardener, she currently lives in Oakland. Read more >

Like the story?
Join the conversation.

  1. annie
    meh, i would be more impressed if the farmers themselves did the rap and there was a little more dirt and soil visible. this is not real to me, exploiting and close to mocking a very hard way of life. those actors will go home and not be affected by the efforts of day to day farm labor. i also take issue with the over-simplification of the use of machinery involved. organic farming should use as little fuel as possible. bottom line> not real or convincing.. my 1 1/2 cents.. a.
  2. annie
    (call me a cynic)
  3. Sarah
    I think this is AWESOME and more ideas like this should be used to promote healthy, organic, humane ways of getting our food. Well done!

More from

Agroecology

Featured

‘For the Culture’ Is a Joyful Celebration of Black Women and Femmes in Food

Klancy Miller’s new book showcases the ‘sisterly insights’ of 66 pioneers in food, wine, and hospitality, while not shying away from the hard truths of racism, sexism, and mental health.

Popular

How Crop Insurance Prevents Some Farmers From Adapting to Climate Change

Organic farmers grow radishes as cover crops. (Photo credit: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Cover Crop Image database)

California Leads the Way in Low-Carbon School Meals

This Oregon Farmer Is Building a New Model for Indigenous Food and Agriculture

Spring Alaska Schreiner walks in her greenhouse at Sakari Farms. (Photo courtesy of Spring Alaska Schreiner)

Op-ed: Big Ag Touts Its Climate Strengths, While Awash in Fossil Fuels