Eagle, Idaho — On any given Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday), Taysom Hill the most versatile professional football player in the league could be playing quarterback, fullback, tight end, receiver, kickoff returner or punt blocker…jumping in wherever his team needs him. Coincidentally, the Idaho native has a lot in common with his home state’s most popular food…you guessed it…the potato, the most versatile vegetable in the produce aisle.
Taysom filmed five short, humorous videos promoting Idaho® potatoes. The 30-second spots launched on December 20th and ran through February 7th on streaming platforms Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, YouTube and programmatic sports sites like CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. The vignettes were also posted on the IPC’s Facebook and Instagram pages. This was the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) first consumer digital ad campaign, and it reached close to 2.9 million people.
“Taysom’s ability on the field (he can play an impressive ten different positions), his wholesome Idaho upbringing and his exceptional athleticism, make him an ideal spokesperson for the Idaho® potato brand,” said Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “The five digital spots we created humorously showcase the versatility of two all-American favorites — Taysom Hill and Idaho® potatoes.”
THE VIDEOS
The digital campaign titled, “Letters to Taysom” features a relaxed Taysom reading his fan mail and uses tongue-in-cheek humor to help consumers keep Idaho® potatoes top of mind.
- Video #1: The series kicks off with Taysom Hill introducing himself and announcing he’s an Idaho® potatoes spokesperson.
- Video #2: Taysom questions why people refer to him as the Idaho® potato of football.
- Video #3: Taysom reads a letter from fan Campbell Jude wondering if Taysom is a better quarterback or receiver and if he will ever throw himself a deep touchdown pass.
- Video #4: A letter from Frank asks Taysom what his secret is to being able to play so many different positions so well.
- Video #5: Taysom responds to Tom’s question about why he doesn’t make up his mind on what position he wants to play on the field.
THE RESULTS
Online & Streaming Platforms
- The series of in-stream and online ads were specifically targeted to sports fans to drive awareness of Idaho® potatoes. The ads garnered a total of 2.7 MM+ impressions across online and streaming platforms.
- The video completion rate (the number of people that watch the ads all the way to the end) performed exceptionally well, ranking at a high of 82%.
Social Media
- The Facebook relevancy score of the campaign (measuring the level of engagement and quality of an ad) ranked at a score of 8, with the range of 8 to 10 being the most optimal scores for a campaign.
- The videos have had a total reach of 227K+ on Facebook and Instagram and a total of 70K+ impressions on Twitter.
This inaugural digital ad campaign exemplifies how the IPC is able to narrowly target specific audiences — in this case football and Idaho® potatoes.
To view the full playlist of videos, visit the IPC YouTube page or the Idaho® Potato website.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission 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.
