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Walkers creates world’s biggest-ever ‘cropvert’ in British potato field

The campaign was designed to highlight the brand’s commitment to using 100 per cent British potatoes, which are sustainably grown

Steve Richmond
Friday 08 September 2023 22:53 BST
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Walkers farmer Tim Rodwell said, “It’s not every day that you get to use potato crops to make a giant message for Britain.”
Walkers farmer Tim Rodwell said, “It’s not every day that you get to use potato crops to make a giant message for Britain.” (Anthony Devlin/Pinpep)

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Walkers has created the world’s biggest-ever ‘billboard’ - a 73,532 square foot ‘cropvert’ - created in a British potato field.

Yorkshire-based potato farmer Tim Rodwell helped the crisp brand turn roughly 30,000 potato crops into its biggest and most unusual campaign to date.

The artwork is so big it’s visible from space, and outsizes the biggest standing billboard in the world - which covers 67,382 square feet.

It took a week to hand cut, with drones used to mark out the precise shapes required, before hoeing the crop by hand to spell the message ‘Great Taste Starts Here’, alongside the outline of a packet of Walkers crisps.

The campaign was designed to highlight the brand’s commitment to using 100 per cent British potatoes, which are sustainably grown.

Rodwell is a Farm Manager and pulled off the ‘cropvert’ alongside a small group of Walkers’ potato growers, just before the potatoes were harvested and sent off to be turned into crisps.

Using just hand tools, the team were able to ensure no potatoes were harmed along the way.

Walkers farmer Tim Rodwell said: “I am incredibly lucky to have grown up on a farm, and now am I am proudly farming potatoes for Walkers.

“It’s not every day that you get to use potato crops to make a giant message for Britain.”

Rachael Smith, from Walkers, added: “We care about our farms and farmers because we care about our delicious crisps.

“We are committed to using sustainable practices that protect the environment, as we know the best quality crisps start with the best quality potatoes.

“That’s why we couldn’t be prouder of this unusual collaboration and resulting ‘cropvert’ that communicates this message to the nation.”

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