- Ore-Ida is claiming its spot as the inventor of the Tater Tot in a new campaign featuring actor and comedian Keegan Michael Key and a bunch of “imi-taters.”
- The campaign serves as an introduction to a new brand platform, “Ore-Ida or Nothing,” that reinforces the company’s leadership and knowledge, backed by a 70-plus-year history of producing potato products.
- In addition to a television commercial and print and digital execution, the campaign will also include partnerships to insert the brand into certain cultural moments and a partnership with Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The product we know as Tater Tots was invented by Ore-Ida founders, F. Nephi and Golden Grigg, who were looking for a way to repurpose the leftover potato bits created from their French fries. The new campaign and platform is meant to reclaim that heritage.
“As the inventor of Tater Tots, we’ve spent decades setting the standard for what great potatoes should taste like,” said Claire Lukaszewski, senior brand manager at Ore-Ida, in a statement. “With ‘Ore-Ida or Nothing,’ we’re reminding consumers of something we can say with confidence: Ore-Ida out potatoes all other potatoes. There’s a difference you can taste – and it starts with the original.”
In the new campaign, Key appears as himself speaking about how Ore-Ida invented tater tots. “Anyone else is just an imitator,” he says. He is almost immediately joined by alter-egos of himself dressed as different characters including a grizzled sea captain, a hardcore fitness instructor, a Gen Z influencer and others (all using variations on his name) who are hyping their own versions of tots.
The effort kicked off with a stunt in which Key could be spotted in the stands of a New York Yankees baseball game surrounded by look-a-likes. In all, the campaign will include 12 unique spots that will run across television, online and social platforms.
