Inaugural Idaho Potato Bowl Scores Big With More Than 4.3 Billion Media Impressions

Although the Ohio University Bobcats defeated the Utah State University Aggies by a single point at the inaugural Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) was perhaps the biggest winner. It scored more than 4.3 billion media impressions—and counting—as a result of multiple marketing initiatives that supported the college bowl game. "We could not be more pleased with our sponsorship of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl," says Frank Muir, president and CEO. "This single event generated positive and consistent media coverage for the Idaho potato brand over a five-month period. It also served as a platform to help us communicate the importance of the potato industry to the state of Idaho." The bowl was televised on ESPN and attended by over 30,000 fans. As part of its sponsorship package, the IPC received extensive recognition during the game and throughout the stadium, including:

The IPC rallied consumers around the country to embrace the spirit of the inaugural Bowl throughout the fall with several initiatives, including a special tailgating recipe page on idahopotato.com, a vignette with culinary icon Mr. Food and an all-expense-paid trip sweepstakes awarded to Michael Warnick of Las Vegas, who attended the Bowl with his wife.