Who would’ve thought that the simple potato-that seemingly inoffensive staple of diets around the world for centuries-could generate such controversy? First, low-carb diets branded it as “fattening.” As that trend wanes, the veggie’s on the mat again, this time as processed potatoes like french fries face charges of being high in trans fats-the most damaging of modern dietary epithets.
In their corner, however, is potato powerhouse McCain, which joined the fray in an attempt to educate consumers about the health benefits of the potato and the oven-baked fry.
The McCain Superfries spot that Taxi debuted last fall is designed to change the perception that fries are only what Cookie Monster might call a “sometime” food. Using the tag “Believe in fries again,” the spot points out that things have changed in the category and that McCain’s oven-baked fries contain no trans fats.
This effort was not the first in McCain’s fight to stem the rising groundswell against the humble tuber. In October 2005, McCain partnered with Canadian potato growers in the launch of the Canadian Potato Facts Campaign (potatofacts.ca) that touted the nutritional value of the potato and included the results of “The Healthy Living” survey conducted by GPC Research for Fleishman-Hillard Canada that identified Canadian misconceptions about potatoes and oven-baked french fries.
So what are those potato facts, according to McCain and the other pro-spud forces behind the site?
• It’s not the potato itself, but what’s put on it that adds calories. One small, skin-on potato the size of a computer mouse contains 130 calories. A tablespoon of butter adds 103 calories, and a tablespoon of sour cream or cheese sauce adds 27.
• A serving of oven-baked french fries (approximately 19 fries) contains less fat and less than half the saturated fat of a baked potato with a pat of margarine or a scoop of sour cream. A serving of oven-baked french fries contains four grams of fat and 130 calories.
According to Fleishman-Hillard, the Potato Facts campaign reached 15.7 million Canadians and generated more than13 million positive media impressions, contributing to a sales increase of 11% for Superfries in a year-over-year comparison.
