Source: Campaign Live
Potatoes are no longer just those beige, lumpy things you were served up as a kid.
A new marketing campaign focusing on real science is attempting to change the spud story by billing it as a vital ingredient to your workout/diet plan and a fuel for athletes.
Potatoes USA, an organization for America’s 2,500 commercial potato growers, teamed up with Sterling Rice Group (SRG) to develop a series of short digital spots touting the tagline: "Potatoes. Real Food. Real Performance."
"The potato undeniably works in the athlete’s favor," said Blair Richardson, Potatoes USA president and CEO. "The message is clear: If potatoes can fuel elite athletes, they can fuel your active life, too."
The brand has conducted extensive research on the benefits of potatoes and found that most people don’t consider it a performance food and are surprised to learn of its nutritional benefits. One medium potato with the skin on has more potassium than a medium-size banana and is packed with more nutrients than any other popular vegetable, according to the firm’s research.
Olympic athletes and other professional sportsmen/women are also part of the conversation about the benefits of potatoes through a multi-level influencer initiative. Athletes will be posting original content on social media channels and in blog posts. Also featured in the influencer effort are well noted exercise physiologist Dr. Allen Lim and Olympic coach, trainer a chef Alan Tran.
"Our performance strategy speaks to elite athletes and weekend warriors by asking ‘what are you eating?’," explained Adam Wohl, executive creative director at SRG.
"The advertising and supporting influencer campaigns leverage the science behind the benefits of potatoes to demonstrate that getting the most out of your workout or actual competition isn’t just about how you train, but also about what you eat."