Smithfield Launches National “Get Grilling Ameri

SMITHFIELD, Va., April 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield launches “Get Grilling America”– a national integrated marketing campaign and summer-long initiative created to inspire consumers and showcase the ease, convenience, and versatility of grilling with Smithfield Fresh Pork . The brand’s cross channel platform approach includes a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ^™ attempt for Largest grilling lesson, a dedicated microsite with recipes and tips from award-winning professional pitmasters, a multi-wave grilling photo contest, ongoing media and public relations support, and a cross-country mobile tour – all designed to inspire consumers to get grilling with Smithfield Fresh Pork. For more information on the campaign, visit www.SmithfieldGetGrilling.com .

“As the weather gets warmer, Americans are finally able to get outside to create flavorful, delicious dishes on the grill,” said Emily Detwiler, director of fresh pork marketing for Smithfield Foods.  “We’re excited to partner with some of the world’s leading barbecue pitmaster influencers and strategic partners to inspire consumers to bring out their inner grillmaster and get grilling with Smithfield Fresh Pork. Our 2017 roster of Smithfield pitmasters have earned 30 World Championships between them and include: Melissa Cookston, Darren Warth, Tuffy Stone, Sterling Ball, Ernest Servantes, Chris Lilly and Jeff Stehney.”

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ^™ Title Attempt for Largest grilling lesson To kick off National Barbecue Month this May, Smithfield invites barbecue enthusiasts to set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ^™ title for the Largest grilling lesson on April 27, 2017. Nine-time World Champion pitmaster Chris Lilly and Weber grillmaster Kevin Kolman will lead the lesson at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. at 6 p.m. Barbecue fan and Kansas City Chiefs’ Defensive End Chris Jones will also join the pitmasters to help make history.

In conjunction with partners Weber, Kingsford, Grizzly and the Kansas City Chiefs, Smithfield will supply the grills, the tools and the fresh pork for this one-of-a-kind free event. To set the new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ^™ title, Smithfield needs 250 participants and anyone is welcome to join. All participants will also have the chance to take home one of 50 Weber grills. The event is first come first serve. To register to grill, visit www.SmithfieldGetGrilling.com/GWR .

Microsite and Photo Contest Smithfield is proud to partner with the world’s top championship pitmasters (who are also restauranteurs, cookbook authors, barbecue rub and sauce developers and media personalities), to share their stories about cooking and winning with Smithfield Fresh Pork. Beginning May 1, consumers can visit www.SmithfieldGetGrilling.com for grilling tips, “how to” videos, and delicious recipes like Tuffy Stone’s Hoisin BBQ Spareribs and Mustard & Rosemary Crusted Pork Shoulder or Sterling Ball’s Big Poppa Tabasco® Back Ribs. Other featured pitmasters include Melissa Cookston, Chris Lilly, Jeff Stehney, Darren Warth and Ernest Servantes.

The microsite will also house a grilling photo contest with opportunities to win thousands of grilling and cash prizes. At-home grillers can submit and vote on their favorite barbecue fresh pork photo within the following waves:

• Simple Recipes, Delicious Meals (5/1 – 5/31)
• Kid Chefs & Messy Rib Face (6/1 – 6/30)
• The Ultimate Grilling Party (7/1 – 7/31)
• Grill Pork Like a Steak (8/1 – 8/31)
• Finalist Round (9/8 – 9/22)

Get Grilling America Mobile Tour Smithfield’s team of pitmaster pros will also make stops at barbecue competitions and events from coast to coast to meet and greet with fans and demonstrate their original Smithfield fresh pork recipes. The Get Grilling America mobile tour includes stops at Jiggy with the Piggy (Kannapolis, N.C., 5/5), Grand Lake BBQ Festival (Langley, Okla., 5/20), Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que Music Festival (Evans, Ga., 5/27), Smokin’ on the Summit BBQ (Lee’s Summit, Mo., 6/3), Silicon Valley BBQ Championship (Silicon Valley, Calif., 6/25), Gold Ribbin’ BBQ Fest (Green Bay, Wis., 7/14), The Great Texas Mosquito Festival (Clute, Texas, 7/29), Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival (Bedford, Texas, 9/2), and Decatur Riverfest (Decatur, Ala. (9/16).

Public Relations and Media Support To drive awareness of the campaign throughout grilling season, public relations efforts include ongoing media outreach, local and national television segments surrounding sponsored events, blogger recipe development programs, as well as distribution of a MAT release highlighting pitmaster grilling tips and recipes. Media support includes national radio flights and digital banner ads across multiple networks including AllRecipes.com. Social media efforts include grilling recipe posts from the celebrated pitmaster partners and Facebook live posts from the Smithfield Get Grilling America Mobile Tour.

Strategic Partners Finally, Smithfield partners with like-minded leading consumer packaged goods brands focused on getting Americans grilling this summer: Weber, Kingsford, Budweiser, Bud Light, Tabasco and Grizzly Coolers, and the National Pork Board, to provide consumers with all of their grilling essentials. In addition to providing recipes, tips, tools, prizes and more, the partners will also participate in Smithfield-sponsored barbecue events nationwide. 

To learn more about the Get Grilling America campaign, visit www.SmithfieldGetGrilling.com .

About Smithfield A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com , www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand , and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com .

Media Contact: Hunter PR for Smithfield Morgan Calef mcalef@hunterpr.com (212) 679-6600