Their official function was to serve as the state's travel ambassadors. Rhode Island is home to Hasbro Toy Manufacturing. The Department of Tourism thought they could put a new face on the state by using the spuds as part of a promotional campaign. The idea was to skin some bucks from the tourist till by creating the illusion that the state was a family destination. Their catch phrase was "Rhode Island - The Birthplace Of Fun!"

The super sized spuds were the creation of local artists and each was based on a theme relating to the state. They were placed in prominent positions and visitors were encouraged to spot all the 6ft tall spuds in their travels.

After a year of the potatoes being mashed by vandals the campaign bit the dirt. Ten of the heads were auctioned on Ebay. A sack-full were donated to museums and the rest found themselves rooted at the businesses of the sponsors who commissioned them to be built. Some still remain on display.

JANUARY 2002 POTATO NEWS
Pawtucket, Rhode Island - Some Brits said Mr. Potato Head is being welcomed back to an historic English town. A Mr. Potato Head statue was banished from Belper, England, after some folks said it was too "tacky." That seven-foot statue was a gift from Hasbro toys, located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Pawtucket happens to be the sister city of Belper. Now, the manager of a newly expanded Safeway in Belper says he'll display Mr. Potato. Robert Billington says Mr. Potato Head is a celebrity and will help bring some attention to his Safeway.

Potato Heads
Locations all over RI