Eagle, ID – The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) was declared the Grand Champion at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s (NAMA) award show held on April 26 in St. Louis, MO for its public relations campaign Frites by Idaho.
In February 2022 the French fry-scented perfume created a PR frenzy – selling out within hours and generating international publicity, including coverage on The Stephen Colbert Show, FOX News Sunday With Shannon Bream, Access Hollywood, The Kelly Clarkson Show and the BBC.
Every year the biggest brands in agriculture and commodity groups submit their smartest and most creative marketing campaigns with hopes of winning a prestigious Best of NAMA award. Frites was one of more than 1,100 entries in this year’s contestant pool. Some of the competing brands included National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Wisconsin Cheese, Tyson Foods, John Deere, Bayer, Purina Animal Nutrition and US Dairy.
“It’s an incredible honor to win such a prestigious award when competing against countless industry powerhouses,” said Jamey Higham, President and CEO, IPC. “On a very small budget, we bottled the most irresistible scent known to mankind to create a fun, engaging and unforgettable campaign that reached millions of people around the world.”
In February 2022, the IPC launched Frites as the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift for potato lovers. A national survey revealed 90 percent of Americans found the scent of French fries to be “irresistible.” Priced at $1.89, then the national average for a large order of fries, Frites sold out overnight and became a worldwide sensation, generating more than 561 million impressions across print, online, television and radio.
The 1.7-ounce crystalline bottle made waves overseas as well, reaching publications like MSN New Zealand, MSN Philippines, Toronto Sun, Hindustan Times, and Kiwi Kids News in Australia.
NAMA entries were judged against four main criteria: challenge or opportunity; objective or desired response; target audience, and craftsmanship/originality.