Promoting farming
Commercial for Monsanto to air during Macy’s Parade
This Thanksgiving, Liberty University students might see a familiar face during a commercial break while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Harvest— Martin is a farmer at heart. Photo credit: Jillian Springer
After winning a contest, Communication & Creative Arts major Celeste Martin and her family will be featured in a commercial for Monsanto, an agricultural company.
“We had no idea that we were even entered into the contest,” Martin said. “It was completely a surprise that we even won.”
After a friend of her father’s sent in a picture, the Martin family was chosen out of 60 families to represent Monsanto during an advertisement that will be shown in various parts of the country during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
According to the Monsanto website, they “deliver agricultural products that support farmers all over the world.” The company also states on the website that they focus on “empowering farmers.”
Martin explained how exciting it was to be part of filming a commercial.
“I was already here at Liberty, so the company paid to fly me back home during the second week of school,” Martin said. “They had everything from wardrobe to make-up. It was amazing to see how much work went into filming a 30-second commercial.”
Martin said she is full of pride when it comes to where she grew up in Kingman, Ind.
“Farming is such a family-oriented occupation,” Martin said. “At one point, my dad was working alongside his father and his grandfather. That’s three generations working together on a farm.”
Martin said that where she grew up and Lynchburg are very different.
“We have a couple houses surrounded by cornfields,” Martin said. “And we’re 30 minutes away from the nearest Walmart.”
Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Lynnda Beavers said it is important for students to see where their food comes from, especially from a biblical standpoint.
“I think we need to understand the background of farming,” Beavers said. “The more we understand about farming, the more we appreciate God’s word. There are so many references to farming within the Bible.”
Beavers, who is one of Martin’s professors, said she knows how proud Martin is of her father.
“We don’t usually view farming as this glamorous occupation,” Beavers said. “But it’s so important you are feeding people. I don’t think a lot of students realize how important it is to know where our food comes from.”
Martin said there is more to farming than meets the eye.
“Farming is a lot more than harvesting crops,” Martin said. “Farming is a science. When I look at the equipment that my father uses, I can’t even understand how to even work it. It’s so much more complicated than people think.”
Beavers also believes that farming overlaps into many other majors.
“Think about it from a business major standpoint or even a communications standpoint,” Beavers said. “Here they are marketing this company and really showing how people can relate to these farmers.”
Martin said she will always appreciate where she came from now that she is here at Liberty.
“I love that I get to explain to people where I came from,” Martin said.