IDAHO POTATO
COMMISSION LAUNCHES FIRST VIDEO CONTEST
ON YOUTUBE.COM
Three Grand
Prizes of $1,000 CASH Will Be Awarded
Dawn Wells, Mary
Ann of Gilligan’s Island, Kicks
off Contest with Surprise Video
EAGLE, IDAHO, May 21, 2007--
The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is
launched its first Internet video
contest May 18 through June 29th,
2007. The IPC is reaching out to spud
lovers across the country, asking them
to work their magic in front of the
camera with America’s favorite
vegetable: the Idaho Potato. Three Grand
Prize winners will be awarded with
$1,000 CASH each! Additionally, five
runners-up will receive surprise gift
baskets. But everyone will win because
all qualified entrants will receive
their very own beanie version of the
IPC’s mascot, Spuddy Buddy.
A
gourmet cook herself, Dawn Wells, who
played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island,
jumped at the chance to demonstrate her
unique way of peeling Idaho Potatoes.
The Idaho resident doesn’t reveal where
she learned this fun trick, but does
admit that even the “Professor” would be
impressed! To see her video, visit the
contest website,
www.iTuber.org.
To
enter, contestants must be willing to
have two minutes of fun with an Idaho
Potato (on camera-of course) and to
share their entry with the world via
YouTube. What exactly do we mean by,
“Have fun with a potato?” Well,
certainly, there are many ways to have a
good time with a nutritious, fat-free
Idaho Potato. Contestants are asked to
put their mental power to the test.
Submissions can be humorous, artistic,
or even serious. Entries could include
artwork, recipe demonstrations, using a
potato to solve a common household
problem, a potato-themed skit or game,
or any other relevant ideas that come to
the mind of the contestant.
“For
years we’ve been receiving thousands of
edible and not so edible tips from
consumers on how they use their Idaho
Potatoes and it wasn’t until we started
seeing videos featuring potatoes on
sites like YouTube, did we realized how
creative people are with their
potatoes,” said Frank Muir, President &
CEO, Idaho Potato Commission. “This
contest is going to be a lot of fun.
We’re all looking forward to learning
some new ways to eat, or even use, Idaho
Potatoes.”
Eligible entries will be selected based
on three judging categories: creativity
and uniqueness (50%); video production
quality (25%); and writing and acting
(25%). Visit
www.iTuber.org for more details and
contest rules. There is a limit of one
entry per person.
The
three Grand Prize winning videos will
also premiere on the big screen at
SpudFest, Idaho’s family film festival
that takes place every summer in Driggs,
Idaho. The IPC is a major sponsor of
SpudFest, which is produced by Dawn
Wells.
Although Idaho is famous worldwide for
its premium potatoes, some consumers
don’t realize that only potatoes grown
in the Gem State can wear the “Grown in
Idaho” seal. Both Idahoâ
Potatoes and the “Grown in Idahoâ”
seal are federally registered
Certification Marks that belong to the
IPC. These Marks ensure that consumers
are purchasing potatoes that have been
grown in the state of Idaho.
