Albert Bartlett had recently acquired the Jersey Royal Company and wanted to mark the first year of ownership with a distinctive TV campaign. The challenge was to introduce Jersey Royals to younger consumers while reinforcing the sense of heritage, rarity and seasonality that older audiences already associate with the product.
I worked as the lead strategist on the project, shaping the insight framework, positioning and messaging that informed the TV ad. My role included designing the research approach, analysing audience familiarity with Jersey Royals, defining the strategic narrative, and working closely with creative, production and media teams to ensure the advert and campaign stayed true to the product’s identity.
The work sat alongside a larger brand strategy programme for Albert Bartlett. The TV ad was planned for nationwide rollout and would act as the hero asset of the season. We needed to balance ambition with real-world constraints: Jersey Royals are only harvested for 2–3 months a year, meaning any production involving the crop had to be filmed in an extremely narrow window. To capture the right visuals, the team committed to filming a year in advance, then completing the ad with extensive VFX. The campaign also needed to integrate with media partnerships, DOOH executions and PR efforts.
Our insight work identified a clear generational divide:
Aware of the name and the premium cues, but unaware that the potatoes are seasonal or that they originate from Jersey Island.
Familiar with Jersey Royals, aware of their seasonality, and confident in cooking with them.
The starting point was understanding audience knowledge gaps. Through a combination of qualitative interviews, ethnographic observation and category desk research, we uncovered a critical insight: you can’t appreciate the magic of Jersey Royals if you don’t know they're seasonal. Older generations celebrated the ritual of buying them each year, but younger shoppers had no idea the product was only available for 8–10 weeks.
This became the north star for the strategy. Before any persuasion, the product needed awareness, not just of its existence, but of its fleeting availability. We developed the strategic positioning:
“Celebrate the Season of Jersey Royals, brought by Albert Bartlett.”
This positioning placed the product’s rarity at the heart of the narrative and framed Albert Bartlett as the brand bringing this annual moment to life.
The creative team built directly from this strategic idea, developing the concept “Roll On Jersey Royal Season.” To ground the campaign in authenticity, we travelled to Jersey to document the origins of the crop, involving the real farmers who grow them. This decision ensured the final film reflected the genuine pride and character of the island.
Because the crop could only be filmed at harvest, principal photography took place a full year ahead of launch. The remaining scenes, including the signature moment of potatoes rolling down streets towards consumers, were completed using VFX, ensuring the ad felt dynamic, modern and celebratory.
The campaign expanded through smart media partnerships, DOOH activations including London Underground live screens, PR coverage and social content, creating a sense of nationwide excitement around the start of the season.
The campaign was extremely successful. Brand awareness rose significantly across both traditional and younger audiences, while ad effectiveness scores exceeded expectations. The DOOH executions in particular generated strong public reaction, with videos of the rolling potatoes shared widely across social platforms and covered in press articles. Most importantly, the celebration of seasonality resonated:
exceeded projections by 20%