2026 Winner

Timing did the heavy lifting for “Heir Richie,” but speed turned it into a cultural moment. When BYU Cougars guard Richie Saunders revealed his family link to the invention of Tater Tots, Ore-Ida moved within hours, signing him to a name, image and likeness deal and reframing him as the face of the brand during March Madness. The idea connected heritage to fandom, turning a legacy product into part of the tournament conversation. Activations like the “Tot Clock,” which offered free Tots after BYU wins, and a steady stream of game-day content kept momentum high. Without official sponsorship, the brand embedded itself in the action, earning more than 3B impressions, driving engagement rates 21,700% above platform averages and triggering a 10,000% spike in social mentions – all at a fraction of competitors’ spend.

Credits

Tom Evans - Head of The Kitchen
Simon Au - Executive Creative Director
Julie Benevides - Head of Production & Operations
Kathleen Bokar - Head of Strategy
Karin Carlisle - Head of Accounts
Damon Crate - Creative Director
Ben Percifield - Senior Strategist
Jennifer Feldman -Account Director
Bayly Shelley - Creative Content Lead
Loraya Hrynkiw -Copywriter
Amber Osmond - Art Director
Sam Bird - Content Creator
Adam Vanderkolff - Copywriter
Dan Corrigan - Senior Motion Designer
Hillary Kaplan - Social Media Manager
Jessica Augurusa - Social Media Manager
Madelaine Violi - Account Coordinator
Todd Kaplan - CMO
Matt Carpenter -VP, Marketing & Strategy - Easy Ready Meals
Casey Turro - Director of Marketing
Jackie Britva - Sr. Brand Manager
Sabrina Leon - Analyst, Comms
Jeff Church - Brand Manager, Marketing
Jenna Thornton - Director Public Relations
Ali Lieberman - Manager, North America Media Relations and Brand PR
Aliza Goldberg - Director, Media - Connections Strategy & Investment
ZENO GROUP - PR
Carat - Media
Alison Brod Marketing Communications - PR