Maine spuds get free plug on ‘Simpsons’

PORTLAND – Homer Simpson as a pitchman for Maine potatoes?

In an apparent surprise to the industry, the nation’s best-known cartoon glutton endorsed Maine spuds during an episode of Fox’s “The Simpsons” that aired Sunday night in prime time.

The gag, which lasted 4 seconds or so, showed various tattoo advertisements on Homer’s ample body, including a message on one arm that read “Eat Maine Potatoes.” Homer, who was in bed, told his wife, Marge, that it was a reminder. He then reached into a bag of “Maine Potatoes” and started munching on one.

When asked about why “The Simpsons” featured the plug for Maine potatoes, Fox spokeswoman Jill Hudson provided a quote from Executive Producer Al Jean: “All of the Simpsons writers are huge fans of Maine potatoes.”

Despite the increasing use of product placements in TV and movies, Maine Potato Board Executive Director Donald Flannery insisted that his promotional group had nothing to do with the animated plug.

“No, no, nope. No – it’s nothing we paid for,” Flannery said. “We never had anything to do with that. I guess I’m going to have to get a copy of it.”

Fox said the show draws about 9.7 million viewers in the 18- to 49-year-old range, and Flannery said there was bound to be an unquantifiable benefit to his industry.

“Any time you can get that kind of recognition for any product, it’s substantial,” said Flannery. “People who never heard of a Maine potato will say, ‘Geez, Maine has potatoes.”‘

The industry-funded potato board has a total budget of less than $1 million, according to Flannery, with about $200,000 earmarked for advertising in regional media. Bigger producer states like Washington will spend about $8 million plugging their spuds, he said.

University of Southern Maine marketing professor Nancy Artz suggested that unless the show’s target audience is not the right one for Maine potatoes, the state’s biggest agricultural industry certainly stands to benefit from the plug.

“They picked an iconic product,” said Artz. “You think potatoes and you either think Maine or Idaho.”