Key Takeaways:
- Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Imagine Entertainment have collaborated to create a toolkit for storytellers to accurately portray rural America in film and television.
- The toolkit aims to challenge outdated stereotypes and provide credible context and practical guidance for representing rural life.
- The initiative is part of The Modern Rural Collective, a network of storytellers, marketers, and brands working to inspire a new narrative for all Americans.
- The toolkit provides recommendations for showcasing innovation, community involvement, and diversity in rural America, and is available for free online.
Introduction to the Collaboration
Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative, has partnered with Imagine Entertainment, a renowned film and television production company, to develop a toolkit for storytellers aimed at changing the way rural America is depicted across film and television. This collaboration is part of The Modern Rural Collective, a network of storytellers, marketers, and brands with a mission to inspire a new, shared narrative for all Americans. The toolkit is designed to provide credible context and practical guidance for representing rural life, and is available for free online.
The Importance of Authentic Representation
Authentic representation matters, and rural communities are not monolithic – they are dynamic, innovative, and essential to our shared future. Land O’Lakes is committed to challenging outdated stereotypes and elevating stories that reflect the true nature of rural America. This initiative is about more than imagery; it’s about fostering understanding and connection across cultural divides. Ron Howard, co-founder of Imagine Entertainment, also emphasized the importance of authentic representation, stating that there has long been a tendency to oversimplify rural America, and he looks forward to storytellers using the context and practical guidance in this new resource to portray these communities with the depth, energy, and authenticity they deserve.
The Toolkit and Its Recommendations
The toolkit centers on uses of theme, character, and visuals to better represent the incredible richness of rural America. It provides direct recommendations, such as showcasing innovation and entrepreneurship as inherent and critical qualities, emphasizing themes of community involvement and helping neighbors, including more teenagers and members of Gen Z, representing people of color, and showing working women. Visually, the toolkit recommends showing more types of people and places, expanding employment seen on-screen, and moving beyond lifestyle clichés. The full toolkit is available online, and additional resources can be found on the Modern Rural Collective website.
The Modern Rural Collective and Its Mission
The Modern Rural Collective (MRC) is a network of storytellers, marketers, and brands with a shared mission to inspire a new narrative for all Americans – one rooted in mutual aspiration and authentic representation. Convened by Land O’Lakes, Inc., MRC is working to shape the portrayal of rural America, reflecting both its value and values. Through tools and strategic collaborations with Getty Images and Imagine Entertainment, MRC is helping to elevate the truth and potential of rural communities, fostering cultural understanding and connection across geographies.
About Land O’Lakes and Imagine Entertainment
Land O’Lakes, Inc. is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2024 annual sales of $16.2 billion, Land O’Lakes is one of the nation’s largest cooperatives, ranking 245 on the Fortune 500. Imagine Entertainment, founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, is a multi-award-winning film and television production company with a remarkable track record of creating critically acclaimed and commercially successful content. The company has consistently redefined the boundaries of storytelling in the entertainment industry, and is committed to helping to inspire a new narrative for rural America.
Conclusion and Future Directions
The collaboration between Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Imagine Entertainment is an important step towards redefining the way rural America is depicted in film and television. The toolkit and The Modern Rural Collective are valuable resources for storytellers, marketers, and brands looking to accurately represent rural America and foster cultural understanding and connection across geographies. As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, it is essential that rural America is portrayed in a way that is authentic, dynamic, and innovative, and this initiative is a significant step in that direction.
