‘Desperate Housewives’ star Marcia Cross has been signed up to front a new campaign for a UK potato supplier and frozen potato products manufacturer which turns celebrity endorsement on its head.
The work for Albert Bartlett is about carb-free Cross turning down an approach from her agent in a Los Angeles restaurant to appear in an ad for the brand.
But which in itself is still an advert for the brand. You follow?
Famed for her red hair and keen cooking skills as demonstrated by her character Bree on ‘Desperate Housewives’, Cross’s agent tells her about the unique versatility of the Rooster potato.
He then goes on to demonstrate how Rooster potatoes can be baked, mashed, roasted and fried, plus playfully points out that Rooster potatoes are red, just like the star’s hair!
Albert Bartlett’s London based agency MPH created the new print and TV campaign, working with well-established director Paul Weilland.
They have produced several print and broadcast executions, including the 60-second ad to kick start the campaign, followed by 40-second versions and 10-second idents.
The campaign aims to highlight the entire Rooster potato portfolio, including the fresh potatoes, chilled and the recently launched frozen range. A specific execution focussing on the frozen range has also been created for the Republic of Ireland.
This is Cross’s first ad campaign in the UK, but marks the second appearance of Rooster potatoes on terrestrial television and builds on the brand’s “one potato; two potato” campaign, which very successfully targeted families and highlighted the product USPs: taste, versatility and premium quality.
“Our previous campaign worked very well in terms of introducing the brand to a national audience, plus educating users, especially mums, on the product USPs. We do however feel that it is time to take it to the next level and the creativity of this new campaign will really appeal to the next generation of consumers,” said Marketing Manager for Albert Bartlett, John Hicks.
“Marcia Cross has mass appeal and a great synergy with our target audience, which includes families, but also couples and singles, especially women.”
He added, “Most people will not expect to see Marcia appearing in a potato advert which will make her impact even greater, she will definitely bring a much needed touch of glamour to the fresh potato category.”
With the inclusion of television and print advertising into their overall marketing programme, Albert Bartlett aims to build the Rooster potato brand’s position within the fresh, chilled and frozen potato sectors by reaching an even wider consumer audience than before.
Targeting housewives (25 – 54 year olds) and the next generation of fresh potato consumers, the television campaign is scheduled to be aired across all national multi-channels from the first week of October 2009 until the run up to Christmas, with print advertisements planned for the September to Christmas editions of retail magazines and grocery trade titles.
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