All hail The Mighty Spud ! When the Northern Ireland Stakeholder Potato Promotion Group approached us with a problem, we simply had to help. Potato consumption in NI was experiencing a worrying decline, particularly among young people, and we had to help right this wrong. The brief asked that we challenge misperceptions around the potato, against its fellow carb competitors such as rice and pasta.
The campaign was delivered primarily through digital and social media, targeted events and educational materials as well as a stand-out PR campaign designed to ultimately drive purchase and communicate key messages around versatility, health and convenience. With a limited budget, we had to make a little go a long way and target a younger audience group.
The Mighty Spud (@MightyNotHumble) was immortalised as the voice of the campaign to challenge the misconceptions and champion all that’s good about the potato. He has shaken off his humble persona and is happy to shout about his many virtues. Through the development of an informative and eye-catching website, engaging social media presence, video content, recipe features and the creation of the Mighty Spud Awards targeting the food and hospitality sector we have put the potato back where it belongs. Post-campaign research showed that 80% of those surveyed said purchasing habits for fresh potatoes had either increased or remained the same, while 71% of people surveyed said they were influenced by the campaign and its messaging around health, convenience and inspirational recipes.
To top it off the campaign picked up gold for Best Use of Social Media at the 2016/17 CIPR Pride Awards proving the Mighty Spud packs a punch.
