McCain Sweet Potato SuperFries on a winning streak

McCain Foods (Canada) has another good reason to celebrate the success of its Sweet Potato Superfries® varieties.

Not only are they a hit with consumers, but the television ad campaign which launched them is a hit with advertising experts as well.

The sweet potato ad has won two Bronze 2011 CASSIE awards - one for Best Launch and the other in the Packaged Goods - Food category.

The CASSIES are Canada's only advertising award show based on proven business effectiveness and backed by rigorous published cases. They are dedicated to recognizing, rewarding and improving the business effectiveness of advertising.

Advertisements from across the country were reviewed by a panel of 31 judges including ad agencies, clients, media, academic, interactive, international and research disciplines.

McCain’s winning ad told the sweet potato story in a unique and humorous way. It started out showing a farmer in the soft, early morning light, pulling sweet potatoes out of the ground and putting them into a basket. The voice-over narrative provided a flowery description of the sweet potato, talking about the “natural sweetness that comes from being wrapped in the Earth’s embrace and gently caressed by the hands of loving farmers.” At that point, the farmer had enough and interrupted with “Whoa, this ain’t no romance novel, it’s just a sweet potato.”

Heather Crees, Vice President of Marketing for McCain Foods (Canada), said the TV commercial delivered on three major objectives.

“We wanted to accomplish several things with that single ad,” she said, “and we did. We wanted to show that our Sweet Potato Superfries can be a great meal addition every day, not just at holiday dinners. We also wanted to show that our fries, made from 100% real potatoes, contain the goodness of the sweet potato. And finally, we know that parents want to give the best to their families and we wanted them to know that they can feel good about serving our sweet potato fries and that they have a place in their freezers alongside our regular McCain Superfries®.”

Crees said that based on business results, the ad hit the mark. Annual sales of McCain Sweet Potato Superfries® varieties were more than double than projected. She described it as “one of the most successful product launches in the history of McCain” and credited the hard work of her Marketing Team and their ad agency, Taxi.

Continuing on the success of the Sweet Potato Superfries® McCain Foods (Canada) has a new advertisement on air reminding consumers that they can also feel good about serving their families regular Superfries® The ad features the unlimited imagination of children who can dream up new ways to make Superfries® even more super.

The ad is part of the McCain It’s All GoodTM initiative, which embraces the company’s goal to rewrite its recipes so that its food is made from real, simple ingredients like you would use if you made it yourself in your own kitchen.

All McCain Superfries® varieties are made from simple ingredients like 100% real potatoes, canola oil and sea salt. Parents know that whether they choose the regular, sweet potato, or soon-to-be-released red skin Superfries®, they can feel good about eating them and serving them more often as part of a balanced diet.
 

Cassie Awards for McCain Foods (Canada) Sweet Potato Superfries advertisement: Members of McCain Foods (Canada)’s marketing team display the two Bronze CASSIE Awards won for the TV ad launching the company’s Sweet Potato Superfries® varieties. L-R: Elizabeth O’Neill, Brand Manager, Retail Potatoes, Heather Crees, Vice President, Marketing, Michael O’Brien, Marketing Director, Potatoes/Appetizers, and Paul Tralla, Senior Brand Manager, Food Service Potatoes.