The Work That Worked: Inside AdFarm’s 2025 NAMA Wins

The best work doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in partnership. That’s how we approach every project at AdFarm. This year, that work was recognized by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), with eight regional first-place awards and 10 merit awards across campaigns for Merck Animal Health, Nutrien, Renewable Energy Farmers of America (REFA) and the American Royal. 

Here’s how we partnered with our clients to turn challenges into ideas that delivered results. 

Merck Animal Health 

PrimeVAC™ “Prime Their Future” 

Every calf represents future revenue. But too often, the value of preconditioning isn’t clearly communicated at sale. PrimeVAC™ had the proof: veterinary certification, proven vaccines and measurable premiums. What it needed was a platform that made that value unmistakable. 

“Prime Their Future” brought the full story together in a simple, ownable way. Black-and-white imagery kept the focus where it mattered, while a single yellow PrimeVAC ear tag became a visual shorthand for certified health and higher value. 

The message was direct: calves enrolled in PrimeVAC can earn up to $48.39 more per head. Across print, digital and trade, the campaign aligned veterinarians, cow-calf producers and buyers around one idea: this is the program you can trust, and the one that pays. 

Merck Animal Health 

Safe-Guard® Feed “Deworm Your Way” 

A classic roadside diner. A summer food truck. And a dewormer that works year-round, on your schedule. 

That’s the idea behind “Deworm Your Way,” a campaign built to elevate Safe-Guard® feed formulations in a market dominated by injection-based competitors. It’s the combination of nostalgia and practicality that had producers deciding to “order up” their Safe-Guard once again. Feed formulations offer something no other product can: stress-free deworming in the pasture, without the chute. 

Together, the campaign served 12.6 million impressions. Google display ads hit a 2.9% click-through rate, 1.5% above the previous campaign. Story ads with a programmatic partner achieved a 76% completion rate, beating industry benchmarks by half a point. 

Nutrien eKonomics 

The Dirt PodKast Season 4 

Consistency builds trust. And in agriculture, trust is earned over time. 

Season 4 of The Dirt PodKast, hosted by Nutrien agronomist Mike Howell, focused on exactly that: showing up with practical, relevant insight producers can use. 

Year-over-year listens grew by 66% to more than 36,000. Total downloads now sit above 111,000, with roughly 3,000 per month and a loyal base of returning listeners. 

But growth didn’t come from volume alone. It came from expanding the ecosystem around the podcast: 

• Companion video content  

• Strategic event integrations like the Calgary Stampede  

• Collaborations with ag media and research partners  

Nearly 6 million impressions supported distribution, with social CTRs exceeding 4%. 

Renewable Energy Farmers of America 

From Skeptic to Advocate 

Launching a new organization takes credibility. The fastest way to build it is through real voices. We helped a brand-new association, REFA, tell the story of a Kansas rancher who moved from wind energy skeptic to advocate.  

The goal was to create an authentic, human story that would resonate with landowners. The piece framed Pete’s journey from initial skepticism to advocacy for wind power and landowner education, illustrating how renewable energy and agriculture can coexist. 

The result wasn’t just awareness. It was positioning REFA as a peer-driven, trusted resource from day one. 

American Royal 

World Series of Barbecue  

For the American Royal, the goal was to turn a major event into a story media couldn’t ignore. AdFarm crafted and deployed a media advisory for the American Royal’s World Series of Barbecue, the largest barbecue competition in the world, with the goal of drawing local families, community members and media to the event. The advisory positioned the weekend as both a culinary competition and a Kansas City tradition, with clear story angles for television, print and digital outlets. 

The result: 117 media hits, an estimated potential reach of 22 million and an ad value equivalency of $208,000. All four major Kansas City television stations covered the event, including a standout placement on ESPN during Monday Night Football, bringing a taste of the city’s barbecue heritage to a national audience. 

Merck Animal Health 

Resflor Gold® “The Gamble” 

Cattle production is a risk. When Resflor Gold® needed to defend its position in a competitive market, we leaned into a truth we heard from the people who live it every day.  

That insight became the foundation for “The Gamble,” a casino-inspired creative platform built around one clear message: don’t risk treatments that don’t work. 

The campaign launched at the 2025 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) national conference, where bold visuals, branded playing cards and poker chip-style ear tags brought the concept to life. Three distinct creative executions worked together to tell the story of risk management in cattle health: a roulette wheel in a feedlot, a poker chip ear tag and a blackjack table on grass. 

The campaign ran across print, digital and video through peak BRD season. The result? Merck Animal Health is on track to celebrate its largest Resflor Gold® sales year ever in 2025, beating the prior year by more than $5 million. 

Want to Build Work That Works? 

Awards are great. But what really matters is helping our clients strengthen their brand conviction and market perception in ways that contribute to real growth in competitive agriculture markets. This is the kind of work we are proud to do alongside our clients. 

Looking to help your brand stand out? Get in touch with us at hay@adfarm.com.