If you felt Napoleon Dynamite’s pain in the scene where a classmate smashes the cafeteria tater tots he stashed in a cargo pocket to snack on later, well, Ore-Ida has just the pants for you.
The frozen food giant, which invented tater tots in the 1950s, enlisted Napoleon himself – actor Jon Heder – to launch “Tot-Protecting Pants” at protectyourtatertots.com. The baggy, gray reptile-print joggers look like something straight out of Napoleon’s quirky closet and feature a bright red, food-safe, “kick-resistant” zipper pocket branded with the Ore-Ida logo. They sold out almost immediately.
The campaign also features a 30-second video starring Heder as Napoleon, “still haunted by crushed tots” and wearing an Ore-Ida ringer tee tucked into his tot-protecting pants. The spot is directed by Aaron Ruell, who played older brother Kip in the movie.
It’s not the first time actors from 2004’s Napoleon Dynamite have helped promote tater tots, with Jon Heder (Napoleon) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) sharing an order of cheesy tots in a 2016 ad for Burger King. It’s also not the first time a brand has launched special pants designed to carry its snacks in cozy comfort – in late 2022, Hot Pockets released Hot Pockets Cargo Shorts with insulated pockets.
Ore-Ida teased its launch on social media last week with a video of someone trying to stuff tots in the pocket of their jeans, a picture of a plate of tots with “Heck yes!” (as Napoleon would say) written in ketchup around them and other in-joke posts celebrating the 20th anniversary of the movie.
“For over 70 years, Ore-Ida has prided itself on delivering crispy and fluffy potatoes every time,” says Jackie Britva, senior brand manager for Ore-Ida at The Kraft Heinz Company. “With June marking the film’s 20th anniversary, we knew it was the perfect time for Ore-Ida to solve Napoleon’s tot-tastrophe in a way only the inventor of tater tots could.”
Kraft Heinz partnered with Searchlight Pictures, the studio behind the original movie, and Hulu, which holds the streaming rights, to bring the character back for the activation.
IMAGE: Ore-Ida/Kraft Heinz/Hulu
“The character of Napoleon and myself share a lot of similar characteristics, such as drawing skills and mouth-breathing proficiency, but none so strong as our love of tots,” Heder said in a statement. “But when my tots get crushed, a little part of my soul gets crushed as well. And that’s why I’m excited and proud to be a part of Ore-Ida’s movement to stop tot-crushing in its tracks – hopefully these pants keep everyone’s favorite potato nuggets safe, warm and flippin’ crispy.”
