UK Food Maker Pulls Off ‘Totally Tubular’ Ad

I love potatoes. Whether it’s a quick baked potato slathered with unsalted butter and ground pepper to quell an upset tummy or my famous green chile cheese mashed potatoes served up for holidays and special occasions, those tasty tubers are an important mainstay in my Irish household.

So imagine my chuckle when I ran across UK-based McCain Foods latest marketing gimmick to tout my buddy the potato. Pardon the pun, but some might call it “totally tubular."

It’s brilliant.

To promote its line of 5-minute microwavable McCain Ready Baked Jackets, the frozen food manufacturer outfitted bus stops in York, Manchester, London, Nottingham and Glasgow with advertisements that feature a 3D fiberglass potato. When consumers press a button, a hidden heating element gently warms the potato and releases the mouth-watering aroma of hot steaming potato goodness throughout the bus shelter. The aroma was developed over three months in collaboration with a specialist scent lab to accurately match the warming scent of McCain Ready Baked Jackets. The ads also dispense coupons for people to try the product.

Kudos to the company and its advertising agency for a job well done and having the spuds to capitalize on consumers’ sensory perception to help seal the sale.