U.S. Potato Industry Launches New Campaign Encouraging Consumers to 'Peel Back the Truth' About Potato Nutrition

The U.S. Potato Board launched a national print advertising campaign today as part of its continued effort to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits of potatoes. "Peel Back the Truth" inquisitively tackles potato nutrition myths and quickly reveals, with the swoop of a potato peeler, the healthy truth inside a fresh potato.

The new campaign is a continuation of the U.S. Potato Board's (USPB) consumer nutrition education campaign that began in 2004 when low-carb diets were at their peak. Fad diets come and go but the nutritious potato stands tall.

In fact, one medium size (5.3 ounces) potato contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol, and has 110 calories. It provides 45 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C. In addition, with skins, it is also a good source of potassium, ranking highest among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables in the U.S.

"Though potatoes are consumed by 79 percent of US households 1.8 times per week in-home, per capita consumption has steadily declined during the past 10 years," says Tim O'Connor, CEO of the USPB. "We need to remind consumers, especially busy moms who are making 70 percent of in-home meals, that the potatoes they already love are good for them too."

The ads were created by the Boulder, Colorado-based agency, Sterling-Rice Group, the same agency that developed the successful "When Almonds Are In" campaign for the California Almond Board and "It's Not Delivery, It's DiGiorgno" campaign for DiGiorgno. They were selected to be the agency of record for the USPB because of their deep knowledge of food and commodity marketing and proven track record for delivering measurable results to clients.

"This campaign is about setting the record straight," says Steve Witt, Creative Director of the USPB campaign at Sterling-Rice Group. "We are directly de-bunking these lingering nutrition myths so people will see that potatoes are, in fact, nutritious, delicious, lean machines."

The half-page magazine ads will begin appearing in September 2008 in a variety of women's food and lifestyle publications, including Cooking Light, Redbook, Southern Living, Taste of Home, Weight Watchers, Parents, Family Circle and Woman's Day.

"Potatoes ... Goodness Unearthed"

The advertising campaign also announces the adoption of a new industry- wide message, "Potatoes...Goodness Unearthed(TM)." This is the culmination of several months of in-depth consumer research done by a leading New York City- based international branding agency, Sterling Brands.

The new signature is designed to help consumers connect with the fact that "potatoes are good for you." In researching consumer perceptions about fresh potatoes, it was learned potato messaging needed to highlight the nutrition facts of potatoes, but also go beyond the facts and connect the goodness of potatoes in a way that is relevant to consumers' lives today.

The potato industry's new campaign signature joins a growing list of agriculture commodities that have established identities through lasting consumer messages. "Pork. The Other White Meat(R)", "Cotton. The Fabric of Our Lives(R)", "Beef. It's What's For Dinner(R)" and the "Got Milk(R)" campaigns have successfully created strong bonds between consumers, individual companies and state organizations. "Potatoes ... Goodness Unearthed" is intended to become a long-term, comprehensive, industry-wide effort to form a lasting identity for potatoes.

"Potatoes ... Goodness Unearthed" will appear on potato packaging, at retail and throughout all U.S. potato marketing and promotions. The signature serves as a reminder to consumers that U.S. fresh potatoes are indeed good for you.

For healthy recipe ideas and additional nutrition information, visit http://www.potatogoodness.com.

The United States Potato Board was established in 1971 by a group of potato growers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes. Recognized as an innovator in the produce marketing industry, the USPB adopted a new campaign signature in 2008. "Potatoes, Goodness Unearthed" showcases the appeal of naturally nutrient-rich potatoes, also known as America's favorite vegetable. Based in Denver, CO, the USPB represents more than 4,000 potato growers and handlers across the country. To unearth more goodness about the USPB and its programs, visit http://www.potatogoodness.com.