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LINCOLN — Nebraska rancher Roger Morgan and his team took a break Sunday from their international cattle operation in the Sandhills to watch the Super Bowl at the town watering hole.
Sure, the cattlemen in Burwell, Nebraska, were eager to see the Chiefs and Eagles face off.
But Morgan expected to get a bigger kick out of his neighbors’ reaction when they saw what to many was a surprise: Their friends at the Morgan Ranch featured in a Google commercial during pro football’s biggest game of the year.
“Never in my life did I think I would be part of a Super Bowl commercial,” said Morgan, a fourth-generation rancher of the family-owned business. “For a guy that wants to stay humbled and rooted … It’s just a very exciting time.”
Morgan said he’s not exactly sure what all went into Google’s decision to select Morgan Ranch Beef — known for producing natural Wagyu beef served up globally and in Nebraska restaurants — as part of the tech giant’s 50 States, 50 Stories campaign.
But he felt “blessed” to have received the Google email gauging the family’s interest in participating in the campaign, which highlights the impact of artificial intelligence on a business in every state.
Such attention, thought Morgan, could only boost an e-commerce-based business like theirs.
Said Google: “Each of these small businesses is driving the American economy — and for this first-of-a-kind project, we’re spotlighting their innovation, grit and hard work, as they find new and incredible ways to use AI to transform how they work and do more of what they love.”
A video crew came to Burwell to shoot footage — quite an event, Morgan said, especially for ranch animals not used to such disruption.
Connecting with land, horses
The 30-second spot, to be played in the Nebraska market, starts off with Morgan on his horse, overlooking a vast prairie before joining a half-dozen other riders. “This is one of the world’s largest untouched prairies,” he says.
A message flashes about how millions of small businesses are using AI in Google Workspace as Morgan talks about his pride in being a cattleman.
“It’s a deep connection with the land and the horses,” he says.
Adjusting his boots and cowboy hat, Morgan goes on to say the folks at his ranch are not the most tech savvy but have grown an international business shipping Wagyu beef around the world.
Hustling in the background are working family members and ranch hands.
Morgan explains how he uses Google Workspace with Gemini to save time creating email for customers: “I would much rather be out there with the cattle,” he says.
If viewers dig a little deeper, they’ll learn the Morgan family’s ranching story traces back to 1932, when Aunt Ollie and Uncle Alex left the drought-stricken plains of New Mexico and set out for what they called the “Oasis of Nebraska,” settling in the Sandhills.
According to the history posted on the ranch’s website, other family members in 1993 introduced one of America’s first Wagyu herds into the country. Now the ranch is recognized as a brand across the U.S. and in major cities abroad, including Tokyo and London.
Roger, 38, his twin brother Pat and sister Carrie are the fourth generation at the ranch, responsible for raising and producing premium Wagyu beef for sales to global markets including more than 100 Michelin-star restaurants.
Their dad, Ronny, and uncle Dan, founder of Morgan Ranch Beef, remain at the helm.
Horses and cows act up
Recalling the video shoot, Morgan said the camera crew came at one of the busiest times of the season. It was a crisp morning.
But theirs are ranch ponies, that are not used to being followed around by cameras, said Morgan.
“The horses all acted funny, the cows were acting off,” he said. “They just know something is not going like it usually does.”
There were awkward moments, like the crew trying to get close enough to Morgan on his young 5-year-old horse to get a close up.
But “nobody got bucked off,” he said. The crew also captured Morgan working with Google AI platforms — the Internet-focused part of the job that’s performed between business travels and the feed yard, calving and other outdoor duties.
In an interview this week, shortly after he returned from a business trip to Japan, Morgan explained that he uses Google software to more easily track inventories, manage cattle records and conduct other research.
“It’s streamlined our process,” he said. While the ranchers still might jot down information into small “calving books” carried in their pockets, they nowadays go home and plug the data into a Google document for better analysis.
For a business that once accepted orders by fax machine and now reaches a half-dozen different countries, Morgan said keeping up with innovation is key.
Leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, Morgan said his sister has put the word out about the commercial on social media. Some friends and family members have reached out, building anticipation and excitement.
But for the most part, Morgan believes friends who gathered at a local bar to watch the football extravaganza probably don’t pay much attention to social media.
Many will be surprised to see their Morgan Ranch buddies flash on the big screen, he said prior to the big game.
“It’s a wild experience,” he said.
