This summer, the Pork Checkoff is encouraging consumers to fire up the grill through a multi-platform media campaign that highlights why pork is the undisputed star at every barbeque. For the first time, America is witnessing grilling from the perspective of The Grill and Gloria, co-stars and “spokes-grills” for the Grill For It! campaign.

“We are building on our target’s love of pork with a fun campaign that celebrates all the ways to make pork on the grill,” says Randy Brown, chair of the Pork Checkoff Domestic Marketing Committee and a pig farmer from Nevada, Ohio. “To stand out, we’re offering inspired meal ideas from the grills to consumers.”

Through Labor Day, the Checkoff is featuring the two grills in an integrated marketing campaign across both general and Hispanic markets. The campaign includes radio and online advertising, print and digital media buys and public relations efforts.

The lively voice of The Grill is actor and comedian David Koechner, known for his roles in the movie, “Anchorman,” and the TV series, “The Office.” In addition to videos, consumers can follow The Grill’s commentary on all things grilling on his blog, GrillForIt.com. The Grill is documenting his summer of pork grilling adventures and interactions with his neighbor, who is a grill named Gloria.

The Grill For It! integrated campaign was adapted to ¡Prende el Sabor! for the Hispanic market. The campaign is encouraging Latinos to turn up the flavor on the grill via a series of video vignettes. The vignettes feature Gloria, voiced by Mexican actress, comedian and singer Angelica Vale. In May, Vale showcased pork with 21 media outlets and will team with the Checkoff this summer for a food and entertainment media event in Los Angeles.

The integrated campaign has already garnered consumer attention. The YouTube video view completions for the first three weeks of the campaign exceeded 5.8 million. Hispanic media coverage to date has generated 390 media stories. Campaign elements can be found at PorkBeInspired.com and PorkTeInspira.com.

“A creative, fun approach to marketing is a great way to break through all of the seasonal clutter to resonate with consumers,” Brown says. “The Grill and Gloria are proving to be the perfect pair to bring pork to more summer get-togethers.”