Beef producers are relaunching the iconic “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner” campaign, and a northwest Iowa family, the Utesch Family from Washta, is featured in the effort.

The relaunch is designed to leverage the strong equity of beef to a new generation of consumers. It will highlight the long-loved brand — such as the famous Aaron Copland “Rodeo” music and the famous tagline.

“Consumers love beef, and as with all foods, today’s consumers want the whole story about the beef they buy,” said Alisa Harrison, senior vice president of global marketing and research at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the beef checkoff, which funds the campaign. “Our research shows that the ‘Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner’ brand is still extremely popular among consumers, in­­cluding millennials. So in honor of its 25th anniversary, we have refreshed the brand and updated our resources to make beef information available to consumers where they want it, when they want it and how they want it.”

The overall effort was designed with millennial media preferences in mind.

The campaign launched this month with digital advertising and a new digital platform at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, a single, comprehensive location that provides an interactive experience on all things beef, from cuts and cookery to a robust collection of beef recipes to an inside look at the lives of the people who raise beef.

“Beef is one of the most popular foods among consumers, whether it’s your favorite steak or burger. But it can also be one of the most confounding, with questions ranging from the right cut to the right way to cook it to where it came from,” said Harrison. “That’s why we wanted to make beef easier to enjoy. We’re setting out to answer the biggest questions that consumers have about beef, all in one place.”

To launch the campaign, NCBA has produced an “anthem” video that features the familiar children’s song, “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” with a new twist, to celebrate the American tradition of ranching while shedding light on what’s new about raising food today.

The new series of videos and content will feature only real farmers and ranchers from across the country. “The Utesch Family from Washta in northwest Iowa is featured in the new Rethink the Ranch campaign, which introduces consumers to the different segments of the beef industry,” said Brooke German, director of marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “There are more than 700,000 cattle farms and ranches in the U.S., and Iowa is ranked seventh with more than 26,000 cattle farms.”

Harrison explained that through the video series, consumers will learn about each step of the beef production process, from the farms and ranches to feedlots to processing and retail and to the consumer.

“Today’s farmers and ranchers blend time-honored traditions with cutting-edge innovations to raise beef, from drones and GPS tracking on the range to apps and other electronic tools that ensure precise and nutrient-filled rations in the feedbunk,” she said.

Later in the year, new advertisements that celebrate beef’s unique qualities as a protein source will launch to appeal to consumers’ genuine love for beef, along with virtual tools such as 360-degree videos that show how beef goes from pasture to plate.