Europatat in collaboration with CNIPT (Comité National interprofessionnel de la Pomme de Terre), Board Bia and VLAM (Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board) has launched a new campaign meant to encourage the consumption of fresh potatoes among Millennials in Flanders (Belgium), France and Ireland. Young consumers in other EU countries will also be reached thanks to the translation of recipes into Italian, German, Spanish and Polish.

Called “Potatoes, prepare to be surprised – Europe’s favorite since 1536”, the joint initiative is co-financed by the European Commission under the EU Promotion policy and will run from January 2020 to December 2022.

Fresh potatoes remain Europe’s most popular main meal carbohydrate and are deeply anchored in the food habits of the European Union. However nowadays they face two main obstacles: a long-term decrease in their consumption and a stagnation of their image as a traditional food. This trend has led to a decrease of potato consumption among different age groups, especially in people between 18 and 34-year-old living on their own, co-habiting or with young families (the so-called Millennials or Generation Y).

To slow down this consumption trend, the strategy of the campaign will be to put fresh potatoes back in the minds and lives of Millennials.

The campaign’s backbone will be Instagram, where surprising and exotic potato recipes will be combined in a modern way to tease Millennials to prepare them. Other social media channels such as Facebook, Pinterest or YouTube will be also used to provide tips and tricks on how to easily integrate potatoes into Millennials’ daily lifestyle and to inform them on the health benefits food. Finally, all the recipes will be compiled in a common website where the element of surprise, which is the central element of the campaign, will be also prominent.