Paulsen won three silver honors for its work with South Dakota Corn at the 2022 American Advertising Awards, hosted on February 25 by American Advertising Federation – South Dakota.

“Our team did some really great creative work on this campaign, and we think it does a tremendous job communicating the story of agriculture’s impact,” says Mark Smither, Paulsen Chief Strategic Officer and Partner. “We’re thrilled that message has resonated with a new, emerging audience—one that is younger and more diverse than ever before—right here in South Dakota.”

It All Starts With A Seed

The 2021-22 creative campaign, It All Starts With A Seed, aimed to show the many ancillary benefits corn production and the agricultural industry as a whole bring to the state.

It was directed at consumers, particularly Gen Z individuals who might have little to no understanding of precision ag, data science, soil health and other ideas that are advancing agriculture today. The hope was to distill those complex concepts through simple, everyday language and bright, colorful illustrations.

Elements of the year-long campaign included printed and digital billboards, print ads, 30-second TV and radio spots, social media graphics and paid media.

The campaign ultimately earned awards in three categories: Out-Of-Home & Ambient Media, Television Advertising (Film, Video & Sound) and Integrated Campaigns (Cross Platform).

A Collaborative Effort

Our Art Director brought the idea to life by developing a series of flat illustrations that served as the foundation for the campaign.

Paulsen also worked with Greg Kiesow and Pixelbox Studios to elevate the concept further through animation and sound design for a series of TV spots.

“It was exciting to see the way Amanda and the rest of the team worked together to produce an award-winning campaign,” says Mike Dowling, Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Paulsen. “It’s unlike anything we’ve done in the past with South Dakota Corn, and the campaign elements really stand out when you see them driving down the road or as you’re watching TV.”

The campaign will continue to run this spring and summer in larger media markets across the state.