Idaho Potatoes Whip Up Great Results in Industry Ad Awards

The Idaho Potato Commission's 2007 retail ad campaign has won awards from the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and the Idaho Advertising Federation (IAF). IPC's playful campaign, launched in September 2007, mixed comic book nostalgia with the power of potatoes, said the commodity group.

Original artwork unique to the IPC campaign depicted well-known comic book scenes incorporating Idaho Potato slogans, messaging, and branding. "The Idaho Potato brand is just as recognizable as some comic book superheroes," said Seth Pemsler, v.p., retail/international for the Eagle, Idaho-based commission. "When you think of kryptonite, you think of Superman, and when you think of potatoes, you think of Idaho."
 
The attention-grabbing ads, running through August 2008, communicate the IPC slogan, "when you think potatoes, think Idaho," in different styles of comic book art, such as the Lichtenstein style, the "Archie" look, and superhero and romance iconographic imagery. To reinforce the ads' message, the IPC distributed stone beverage coasters to retailers showcasing four of the spots.

"The campaign received rave reviews, not to mention a few chuckles, from our retailers," said Pemsler. "It was so popular, we decided to add two more ads into this year's execution for a total of eight spots."
 
The humorous approach to promoting potatoes has been recognized by as outstanding by the The National Agri-Marketing Association, the nation's largest association for professionals in marketing and agribusiness, which awarded IPC's comic book print campaign with six awards. The campaign took top honors winning a National Best of NAMA Award. The ads also received accolades from the Idaho Advertising Federation (IAF), winning a Silver Rockie Award in the direct marketing/specialty advertising category for the promotional coasters.
 
IPC's second execution of the ads will comprise its 2008-2009 retail print ad campaign set to launch in September 2008.
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