Albert Bartlett has launched a £3m advertising campaign to celebrate the Jersey Royal Potato season.
The Roll On Jersey Royal Season push – Albert Bartlett’s first since it bought the Jersey Royal Company last year – showcases the traditional farming practices and the unique landscape of Jersey, emphasising the heritage of the Jersey Royal potatoes.
It shows how Jersey Royals are produced on côtils of Jersey, the steep sloping fields that early season potatoes are grown on and the growers that produce them, set against the Jersey landmatk, Gorey Castle.
“Creating a true seasonal moment was the key objective behind the campaign, building anticipation amongst consumers and theatre for our retail partners as this unique and delicious seasonal gem hits UK supermarket shelves in volume from the end of April through to July,” said John Hicks, brand & marketing director at Albert Bartlett.
Hicks told The Grocer he was keen for the campaign to be the brand’s “Coca-Cola truck moment”, triggering the start of the season in consumers’ eyes.
The campaign’s Jersey Royals branding will be replicated across packs, billboards and promotional materials to “put that momentum in”, he added.
The video campaign, created by Dentsu, is soundtracked by The Bellamy Brothers ‘Let Your Love Flow’. It features real farmers and traditional farming methods and opens with fifth generation Jersey farmer Nick Mourant surveying his crop before seeing Joe from the Jersey Roya Company ‘surfing the plough’ on his traditional hand plough in the field, as he has done for 38 years.
It also includes footage from Gorey Castle with one team member waving a flag to signal the start of the season.
CGI, and mousetraps in the soil, has been used to make the potatoes “pop out of the fields and playfully roll down the streets” to members of the public.
The film then cuts to chef and long-term brand ambassador Michel Roux boiling the potatoes in his kitchen and ends with a family enjoying them at the dinner table.
“It’s a feel-good ad that pays homage to the rich history of Jersey Royals and the traditional farming methods still deployed on the island today,” said Hicks.
Consumption of Jersey Royals has been in long term decline with exports around 50,000 tonnes in the 1990s and in 2024 was only 22,000 tonnes.
A teaser campaign is currently running across digital, with TV, video on demand, digital display, paid social, out of home including across London Underground stations and media partnerships set to run from the beginning of May.
A hero 60 second TV spot will air on the Coronation Street ad break on May 5.
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