EAGLE, Idaho-The giant Idaho potato is wrapping up its seven-month journey around the country by basking in a Los Angeles area media blitz, and industry officials are already planning next year's tour.
The $750,000 campaign featuring the world's largest spud has generated hundreds of millions of media impressions, according to representatives of the Idaho Potato Commission, which created the campaign to promote the Idaho potato brand.
National media outlets jumped on the story when the truck made its way through Los Angeles Oct. 15-25, said Sue Kennedy, a public relations supervisor with Evans Hardy+Young, which handled the national tour for the IPC.
When the giant potato, which is being hauled on a truck, parked near the famous 18-foot Fork in the Road in Pasadena, it was covered by major media such as the "Today Show," Los Angeles Times, CNBC and the Weather Channel.
"The media went beyond crazy on this," Kennedy said. "We don't know yet exactly how many media impressions we got, but it's a lot."
SOURCE: Sean Ellis, Capital Press
http://www.capitalpress.com/newsletter/SE-giant-potato-II-110212