Posts Tagged “Big Idaho Potato Truck”
By Idaho Potato Commision
Eagle, Idaho — After traveling 35,350 miles for eight months promoting America’s favorite vegetable, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck has officially completed its eighth season on the road. During its cross-country trek, the 4-ton spud participated in 54 scheduled events in 50 different cities and donated $12,500 to 25 local non-profits through its charitable program, A Big Helping.
“The Big Idaho® Potato Truck was only supposed to be on the road for one year to celebrate the Idaho Potato Commission’s 75th anniversary. Here we are eight years later and folks are scheduling the Truck two years out,” said Frank Muir, President & CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “By definition we have reached pop culture status — a product or brand that has mass accessibility and appeal. Last fall the popular television show American Idol invited us to participate in their auditions in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It doesn’t get much bigger than that!”
While it’s impossible to count all the people who experienced the Truck either at events or traveling on America’s highways and byways, the estimated reach was close to 2 million and is measured by social media engagement, event attendees and media impressions.
This year the Big Idaho® Potato Truck attended three events with more than 300K attendees:
- Pegasus Week and Kentucky Derby (Louisville, KY)
- NASCAR Bristol and Family Nights (Bristol, TN)
- National Memorial Day Parade (Washington, D.C.)
Nine events with more than 100K attendees:
- Mazda IndyCar (St. Petersburg, FL)
- Mazda IndyCar (Indianapolis, IN)
- Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Atlanta, GA)
- First Ever 16th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Hot Springs, AR)
- McDonald’s Houston Children’s Event (Houston, TX)
- NASCAR Poconos (Poconos, PA)
- Thunder Over Louisville (Louisville, KY)
- America’s Birthday Parade and Celebration (St. Louis, MO)
- Dublin Irish Festival (Dublin, OH)
And several other highlight events including:
- Ryan Seacrest Studios (Nashville, TN)
- Bear World (Rexburg, ID)
- West Virginia Strawberry Festival (Buckhannon, WV)
- Winona Steamboat Days (Winona, MN)
- 100th Anniversary Reno Rodeo (Reno, NV)
In total, the 2019 Big Idaho® Potato Truck tour generated more than 200 million media impressions, and continues to reign as the IPC’s most successful marketing campaign, ever. Everywhere it goes, it promotes the nutritional value of Idaho’s famous potatoes and reminds folks to look for the “Grown in Idaho®” seal to be sure they are purchasing genuine Idaho® potatoes.
After eight years on the road, the Truck continues to have a lasting impact on the communities it visits. In total, it has delivered some impressive numbers:
- The average tour length is 6 months
- The Truck has traveled approximately 248,000 miles
- Attended events in 701 cities/towns
- Participated in 49 events with over 300,000 people in attendance
- Participated in 85 events with over 100,000 people in attendance
- “A Big Helping” has donated $79,500 to 150 charities across the country
- Millions have taken pictures of the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on their mobile devices
- The team receives appearance requests from fans, festivals and events all over the country on a daily basis
- Total media coverage to date is in the billions!
The 2020 Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour schedule will be released in early February 2020 at www.bigidahopotato.com.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
Eagle, Idaho – For eight years, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck, a 4-ton spud on wheels, has been turning heads and stopping folks in their tracks everywhere it goes. This summer, there’s another reason why people are taking a second look at the oversized vegetable. The Tater Team, the trio that travels with the Truck promoting famous Idaho® potatoes, is all women, including the driver. According to CNBC, only 6 percent of all truck drivers are female. So if you think a giant spud is a rare sighting, so is a female truck driver.
This year marks Melissa Bradford’s first year driving the Big Idaho® Potato Truck, and she’s a natural. Born and raised in Idaho, Melissa grew up harvesting spuds with her dad. She became a commercial truck driver in 2008, and in 2016 upgraded to a Class A commercial license, allowing her to operate a vehicle with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds. Melissa says seeing people’s reaction to the Truck is the highlight of her job, and she’s amazed at how many people ask her if the potato is real. Melissa is also a spokesmodel for the Duluth Trading Company.
Accompanying her are the “Tater Twins,” Jessica Coulthard and Kaylee Wells, Idahoans and best friends who have been traveling with the Big Idaho® Potato Truck for three years. They’ve trekked across the country countless times promoting the health benefits of Idaho® potatoes to millions of folks who are thrilled to see the largest spud on wheels. “The Tater Team represents the heart and soul of the Idaho® potato brand, and I’m exceptionally proud of Melissa, Kaylee, and Jessica for demonstrating its values on a daily basis,” says Frank Muir, President & CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).
This summer, the trio will travel approximately 25,000 miles and visit about 60 cities. Some highlights of the 2019 tour include participation in the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Hot Springs, Arkansas; a zip around the Indianapolis Speedway track; a stop at the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois; and its annual and highly anticipated appearance at the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. In many of the markets it visits, the Truck supports local charities through its “A Big Helping” program by helping them raise funds and awareness based on their specific needs. The Truck’s complete tour schedule is available at bigidahopotato.com.
The Idaho® potato brand has a long legacy of trailblazing women, and the Tater Trio aren’t the first women to represent Idaho® potatoes. In 2013, the IPC shattered the glass ceiling with the appointment of the first female Commissioner, Peggy Arnzen, a shipper from Benchmark Potato in Rexburg. The first female grower, Mary Hasenoehrl of Gross Farms in Lewiston, was appointed to the IPC in 2017. As industry leaders for many years, both Peggy and Mary have long and impressive backgrounds in farming and agriculture. Their perspective and experience have contributed to building impactful marketing programs designed to reach the IPC’s primary target audience, women ages 25-54.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
Eagle, Idaho –When the Big Idaho® Potato dropped at midnight in front of the Capitol Building on New Year’s Eve, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck, which was front and center for the “spudtacular” show, officially ended its 2018 tour. And what a year it was! The Truck…
- Traveled 40,000+ miles
- Participated in 68 scheduled events
- Four events had over 300K attendees
- St. Patricks’ Day Parade, Pittsburgh, PA
- Art Car Parade, Dallas, TX
- National Memorial Day Parade, Washington, D.C.
- Rose Festival, Portland, OR
- 15 events had over 100K attendees, including
- Indianapolis Indy Car Race, Indianapolis, IN
- NASCAR, Bristol, TN
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Hilton Head, SC
- Pegasus Parade, Louisville, KY
- SeaFair Festival, Seattle, WA
- Four events had over 300K attendees
- Donated $12,000 to 21 charities across the country through its “A Big Helping” program
- Was invited to appear at American Idol’s Semi-Finals in Coeur D’Alene, ID
- Generated more than 300 million media impressions
However the biggest news of the year was the unveiling of Big Idaho®Potato 2.0. Weighing in at 4 tons, the fiberglass potato is just as impressive as the original, but with a few subtle differences. The potato is still 28 feet long and 11.5 feet high, but it’s a little trimmer in the middle (10 feet wide), and two tons lighter so it can travel to more places. The original potato, which was only supposed to last one year, became too road worn to travel and now resides in its home state of Idaho.
“The Big Idaho® Potato Truck continues to drive many of our marketing campaigns. It’s the focus of our national television commercials, it helps promote the potato’s impressive nutritional profile and generates hundreds of millions of impressions for the Idaho® potato brand,” explained Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission. “Now that we’ve got a new fiberglass potato, there’s no end in sight for the biggest potato on wheels.”
After seven years the Truck’s track record is pretty impressive…
- The average tour length is 6 months
- The Truck has traveled approximately 211,722 miles
- It’s attended events in 651 cities/towns
- 46 events had more than 300,000 people in attendance
- 76 events had more 100,000 people in attendance
- The Truck has traveled through more than 10,000 cities and towns, nationwide and all lower 48 states
- “A Big Helping” has donated $67,000 to 124 charities located across the country
- Millions have taken pictures of the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on their mobile devices
- Every day we receive appearance requests from fans, festivals, and events, all over the country
- Media coverage to date is in the billions!
The 2019 Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour schedule will be available in early February 2019 atwww.bigidahopotato.com.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
by The Idaho Potato Commission
Eagle, Idaho – The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) kicked off another year of marketing activations by launching one of its two new television commercials during ESPN’s live broadcast of the Boise State University (BSU) versus Oklahoma State University (OSU) football game on Saturday, September 15th. The IPC is a longtime sponsor of BSU and has made it a tradition to debut its new commercial during a nationally televised game.
This year marks the first time the IPC has created two commercials in one year for the Big Idaho® Potato Truck series. The spots feature Farmer Mark, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck along with two other fan favorites…the “Spud Hound” and the 1955 Studebaker. The commercials will air concurrently beginning October 22nd through the beginning of April 2019 on national networks including CNN, Fox News, CNN Headline News and the Food Network. Like last year, they will stream on HULU – reaching folks who prefer to watch TV shows and movies online. The commercials will also air for the first time ever on Access Hollywood, Live with Kelly, The Price is Right and CBS All Access.
“Every year we evaluate the effectiveness of our “Missing” advertising campaign, and it’s evident that the popularity of the commercials and the Big Idaho® Potato Truck is still growing exponentially,” said Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “This is an especially unique year for us. We’re launching two new commercials and airing them on programs we’ve never advertised on before allowing us to reach millions of new consumers.”
While both commercials continue to center on the farmer’s ongoing search for the Big Idaho® Potato Truck, they have very different storylines. “First Bite” insightfully recognizes that whenever a meal is served with Idaho® potatoes, the first bite is always the potato. In “Secret Weapon” the farmer uses a Wile E. Coyote-like tactic to try to catch the Big Idaho® Potato Truck.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, that differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
BOISE, Idaho — The Big Idaho® Potato Truck is back on America’s highways promoting Idaho’s most famous agricultural product, the Idaho® potato. In just six months, the Truck will log 23,000 miles, stop in more than 60 cities both large and small and be photographed millions of times by spud lovers across the country. The Truck’s popular “A Big Helping” charitable program will continue to support local non-profits across the country.”When we launched the Truck six years ago, it was intended to be a one year campaign. Instead, the Truck became an overnight sensation – reminding consumers at every turn to look for the ‘Grown in Idaho®’ seal, which is prominently featured on the side of cab,” explained Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “We placed several other graphics on the Truck to communicate important key messages such as the Idaho® potato’s certification by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food; the Famous Idaho® Potato Bowl logo, the premier cold-weather college football bowl game; Spuddy Buddy, the Idaho® potato mascot; and important nutrition facts.”
The Tour
The Truck’s first national appearance is the International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, GA. Other stops throughout the summer include the Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC., the Potato Chip Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY and the NASCAR Pocono Raceway Cup Series. To view the entire calendar visit www.bigidahopotato.com
The Truck
The Big Idaho® potato weighs more than 6 tons (the equivalent of 32,346 medium-sized Idaho® potatoes).
To date, the Truck has visited 48 states (all but Hawaii and Alaska), traveled through 5,000+ towns/cities and traveled more than 100,000 miles since its 2012 launch celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the IPC. The Big Idaho® Potato Truck was built by Chris and Sharolyn Schofield of Weiser, Idaho with the help of a few specialized contractors. The Truck took a full year to design and build.
On Dec. 22, the Idaho Potato Commission will once again sponsor the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will celebrate its 20th anniversary. If you are a driver having a layover in Boise, you ought to check with a local Idaho potato shipper because there’s a good chance you can get a free ticket to the game.
Hosted in Albertsons Stadium at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, the game is unique as it’s the longest-running cold-weather bowl game played on the arena’s famed blue turf.
The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has a history of using creative marketing techniques to draw attention to its state’s potatoes and this fall and winter are no exception.
Frank Muir, president and CEO for the Idaho Potato Commission, Eagle, said in November, the group’s famed Big Idaho Potato Truck turned heads as it traveled as part of an entourage transporting the 60-foot Capitol Christmas Tree from Payette National Forest in Idaho to Washington, D.C. The Big Idaho Potato Truck delivered hundreds of ornaments made by Idaho schoolchildren and participated in local events that took place along the cross-country journey.
The Big Idaho Potato Truck was built five years ago to celebrate the commission’s 75th anniversary and has now traveled more than 100,000 miles promoting the heart-healthy benefits of Idaho potatoes. The campaign has also donated to local charities through its “A Big Helping” program.
Regionally, retail promotions are planned at Albertsons and Safeways with displays featuring information about the football game. Further promoting Idaho potatoes is the fourth annual Idaho Potato Drop for New Year’s Eve. Held in downtown Boise, thousands of people gather in front of the state capital to see the giant potato drop (like Times Square’s ball).
Finally, in January and February, the commission will again promote Potato Lover’s Month and its 26th annual retail display contest.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.