New Promotional Effort To Highlight Educational Value of Potato

Earlier this summer, Potatoes USA announced a new ad campaign promoting how spuds can help in athletic performance.  The Washington state Potato Commission is taking that effort to the Northwest, becoming sponsors of some of the best known competitions across the Northwest, including Bloomsday, the Big Foot 150 and the Seattle to Portland Bike Ride.

Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Potato Commission said when it comes to a balanced diet, many people take the potato for granted.

“It’s almost kind of an afterthought, we don’t really think about what nutrition is, so this campaign is really going to highlight the nutritional aspects of it, how important the carbohydrates in a potato are to refueling your muscles, as well as your brain power.”

Voigt also noted that potatoes are rich in potassium, which is beneficial in preventing cramping.  He added the Commission has already launched a social media push, featuring Team Potato.

Voigt said this campaign has already inspired a lot of farmers.

“I’ve got a lot of folks in the potato industry that are coming forward and saying ‘you know, it’s about time in get out from behind this desk and really start focusing on getting healthy’, and of course they’ve always incorporated potatoes as part of their diet but they’re going to combine that with some athletic performance.  So I think we’re going to start seeing a lot of farmers run in the 10Ks this year, so we’re excited about that.”

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