Vacas Vaqueras is the Spanish-language title of the new Disney movie, Home on...
Vacas Vaqueras is the Spanish-language title of the new Disney movie, Home on the Range, and the movie’s farm-animal theme proved the perfect backdrop for a U.S. beef and pork promotion recently in Mexico’s Second City, Guadalajara. The July promotion culminated with an exclusive U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF)-sponsored première of the movie on July 22, 2004.
USMEF partnered with two of Mexico’s largest retailers, Gigante and Comercial Mexicana, to promote both U.S. beef and U.S. pork at 34 supermarkets. The in-store advertising alerted shoppers that every package of U.S. pork contained a ticket worth two points and every package of U.S. beef contained a ticket worth one point toward attendance at the movie première. Ten points acquired through buying U.S. beef and pork were good for one ticket to the Home on the Range première. USMEF reinforced the promotion message with 120 radio spots and 15 advertisements in targeted magazines. Sales figures provided by the retailers indicate an average increase in sales of 20 percent over last year.
The promotion was so successful that even though USMEF-Mexico had all 12 screens at the Plaza Milieno movie complex reserved for the movie showing on the afternoon of July 22, all 1950 tickets were gone two days before. Those attending were greeted by hosts distributing gifts to spread the message that U.S. beef and pork are safe, nutritious and good to eat. A key ring, a water bottle filled with soda, and a bucket of popcorn emblazoned with the USMEF, United Soybean Board, U.S. beef and U.S. pork logos. The United Soybean Board, a key industry partner of USMEF, funded the promotion. Banners in the movie theater lobby also sported the same logos and carried the message to buy U.S. red meat. Television screens in the lobby ran a video of winners of the recent USMEF Chef Contest preparing quick recipes featuring U.S. beef and pork. Before the movie began, the audience watched a USMEF commercial.
In the first seven months of 2004, the most recent statistics available, Mexico was the No. 1 destination for exports of U.S. beef and beef variety meat — 79,531 metric tons (mt), valued at $229.2 million — and the No. 2 destination for U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports — 185,102 mt, valued at $273.2 million.
The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.
– USMEF –
Also for use with this press release:
A video of the Guadalajara Vacas Vaqueras première shows the excitement of those attending.
Photo 1: At the Guadalajara Vacas Vaqueras première, moviegoers learn about the quality attributes of U.S. beef
Photo 2: Moviegoers gather in the theater lobby before the Guadalajara Vacas Vaqueras première
Photo 3: A young moviegoer meets a USMEF Cowboy Guadalajara Vacas Vaqueras première
