The humble potato is the star of Waitrose's latest campaign which uses the popular root veg as a symbol of unification, exploring how the meaning of ‘British’ has evolved. 

Inspired by the insight that there’s more that unites us than divides us, ‘The People’s Potato’ campaign has been created by young people through Create Not Hate’s new programme with the John Lewis Partnership.

The campaign highlights that the potato, a ubiquitous staple of British cuisine (that actually originated in South America), is a fundamental ingredient in cuisines worldwide. This idea has been brought to life via a series of print and digital executions showing piles of potatoes waiting to be scrubbed and prepared. Where all the potatoes look the same before preparation, each represents a different potato dish from around the world.

"This campaign not only celebrates what unites us as a nation, it demonstrates the power of shared experience and how it can bring communities and different cultures together. Potatoes are consumed all around the world and in this creative, they act as a symbol to show how little everyday things can create meaningful connections.” explained James Turner, Creative Lead at Waitrose.

The campaign features as a cover wrap on the August 18 edition of Waitrose Weekend, within the magazine, and on social media. As part of the campaign the retailer has featured four different potato dishes; Classic New Potato Salad, Cheese and Bacon Hasselback Potato Bake, Curried Chicken and Potato Patties, and Pulled Pork Loaded Potato Skin Nachos; which have been expanded into full recipes available for free on Waitrose’s owned channels.

The campaign has been created by Create Not Hate, an initiative founded by Trevor Robinson OBE, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Quiet Storm, to help young people who are underrepresented in the creative industry unlock their potential and increase diversity in advertising. There are films on TikTok talking about Create Not Hate and the creation of the campaign made by and featuring the initiative’s participants. 

“The opportunity for the young people involved to work on such an iconic British brand to tackle an important brief today is tremendous” added Trevor Robinson OBE, founder of Create Not Hate. “I look forward to other brand owners seeing this and coming on board, and reaping the many benefits associated – benefits for the young people participating and benefits to their own brands and businesses.”

By using the humble potato to embody the idea that there is ‘more that unites us than divides us’, the campaign from the young creative minds aims to reflect the diversity and multiculturalism of the country today and bring people together through a shared love of food.