Grapes from California Team Up with Davante Adams and Los Angeles Rams to Showcase California Goodness on a Global Stage; Ian LeMay Comments

FRESNO, CA - The California Table Grape Commission (commission), All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, and the Los Angeles Rams are teaming up ahead of the first-ever regular season football game in Australia to bring California goodness to a global audience. The historic matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday, September 10, at 5:35 p.m. PT (Friday, September 11, at 10:35 a.m. AEST), presents a unique opportunity to celebrate California’s global influence on and off the field. With two California teams competing on an international stage and a California-born-and-raised star athlete at the center of the matchup in one of the California table grape industry’s key export markets, the game, which will stream globally on Netflix, creates an unprecedented platform to showcase California agriculture, talent, trade, and culture to consumers around the world.

The partnership is especially meaningful given Adams’ California roots, a press release noted. A northern California native and standout athlete at Fresno State, which is located in the heart of California’s table grape growing region, Adams represents the connection between California’s rich agricultural heritage and its tradition of athletic excellence. His journey from California’s Central Valley to one of the most accomplished careers in professional football reflects the same spirit of quality, hard work, and excellence that defines California table grapes and the people who grow and harvest the beloved fruit.

Australia is an important export market for California table grapes, making the Rams game in Melbourne a natural opportunity to strengthen awareness of California grapes and the California goodness they represent among Australian consumers. The partnership highlights the state's growers, shippers, workers, plus their families and communities while reinforcing California's reputation for producing products enjoyed around the world.

As a partner of the Rams, Grapes from California have been designated the official grape of the Los Angeles Rams domestically and in Australia. The campaign will feature two consumer sweepstakes designed to drive excitement on both sides of the Pacific. One sweepstakes will offer Australian fans the opportunity to win tickets to the historic Rams-49ers game in Melbourne, while a second sweepstakes will award a grand prize trip for two from Melbourne to Los Angeles, including travel and tickets to a future Rams home game. California grapes will also be integrated into Rams-hosted activities for fans happening in Melbourne around the historic game. More details about these activations will be announced in the coming weeks.

"This is a uniquely California moment," said Ian LeMay, commission president. "When two California football teams meet in Australia for a landmark event, it creates an extraordinary platform to tell California's story. For our growers and shippers, Australia represents an important export market, and this partnership with a renowned athlete like Davante Adams allows us to highlight that exceptional athletes and agriculture products are rooted in California and shared around the world. Davante and the Los Angeles Rams embody what California represents: California roots with global reach. Together, we're sharing the very best of California with consumers around the world."

"The Rams are proud to partner with Grapes from California as we bring one of the biggest moments in our season to an international audience," said Chris Edwards, Los Angeles Rams Vice President of Partnerships. "Together, we're celebrating the growing connection between the Rams and fans in Australia, using this global stage to share our story and engage audiences around the world."

“I’m from California, and the Central Valley will always be home,” said Davante Adams. “That’s where my story began. Working with Grapes from California feels authentic because it represents the same people and values that shaped me. Taking that connection to Australia lets me bring that Valley pride and share it with fans across the world.”