This month, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) heads full-throttle into another year of exciting marketing activations promoting its heart-healthy potatoes. The organization kicked off the marketing year with the premiere of its newest television commercial, the latest installment in the beloved long-running Big Idaho Potato Truck series, during the ESPNews live broadcast of Boise State’s football season opener against Florida State on Aug. 31.
As a longtime sponsor of Boise State ahtletics, the IPC is proud to continue support of its hometown team by debuting its most recent commercial during the highly anticipated, nationally televised game. Aptly titled “Student Driver,” the newest IPC commercial will begin airing nationwide in October on Fox News, CNN, Headline News, History, Food Network, HGTV, Cooking Channel, Hallmark, NBC Sports, ESPN and Freeform, as well as on streaming platforms Discovery Go and Hulu.
“The commercial is strategically scheduled to air during the months when the truck is not traveling, allowing us to cost-effectively create what is essentially a year-round national advertising campaign,” says Frank Muir, the IPC's president and CEO. “The fan base for Farmer Mark and his never-ending search for the Big Idaho Potato Truck, and the fun-loving Tater Team, continues to grow. Most importantly, the entire campaign is still effectively engaging consumers and communicating important information about the Idaho potato brand.”
“Student Driver” continues to focus on the ongoing search for the Big Idaho Potato Truck. Now stranded in his tricked-out 1955 Studebaker, the reluctant hero, Farmer Mark, returns to the small screen, plotting to find another way to catch the elusive Big Idaho Potato Truck on its expeditious journey across the country. Mark is in for the ride of his life when he blindly jumps into the passenger seat of an unsuspecting, lead-footed, student driver.
