Imagine launching a product that could save your entire business—or even a nation. But there’s just one problem: everyone hates it.
What do you do when people don’t just ignore your product, but actively despise it?
Welcome to 18th-century Prussia, where King Frederick the Great faced this very dilemma with a humble vegetable: the potato.
Fedrick the Potato King: A Masterclass in Rebranding
In the 18th century, Prussia (now part of modern-day Germany) was on the brink of a famine—a massive food shortage caused by a gap between what people needed and what the land could produce. To avoid this crisis, King Frederick the Great was advised by his ministers to encourage the public to rely on two staple crops: wheat and potatoes.
But there was one major problem:
👉 The people absolutely hated potatoes.
They thought the potato was ugly, tasteless, and not even worthy of feeding their dogs, let alone themselves.
👑 Frederick’s Attempts (That Failed)
Like any ruler with good intentions, Frederick tried multiple policy strategies:
- Price Manipulation:
- Incentives to Farmers:
- Force and Punishment:
No matter what economic lever he pulled, Frederick failed to win over public perception.
🧠Then Came the Genius Move: Rebranding
Instead of pushing logic or using force, Frederick changed the perception.
He declared:
"From today, only royal farmers—the king’s own men—are allowed to grow potatoes. Anyone else caught growing them will be punished."
He created a royal potato field and placed his own army to guard it.
But here’s the twist: He secretly told his guards,
“Do not stop anyone from stealing the potatoes. Just pretend to guard them.”
đź’Ą And Then the Magic Happened
Peasants saw the potato field was heavily guarded. They thought, “This must be something valuable.”
At night, they began stealing potatoes. Within weeks, underground potato farming flourished across Prussia. And soon, everyone was eating potatoes—even paying double for what they once rejected.
The same people who said, “I wouldn’t even feed it to my dog” were now saying,
“Only royalty eat this. I want it too.”
🔑 Key Lesson: Perception > Product
Frederick didn’t change the potato — he changed how people perceived it.
đź’ˇ What Can Modern Brands Learn?
1. Scarcity Signals Value
"If something is worth guarding, it is worth stealing.”
People assume value when they see exclusivity or scarcity. It’s why luxury brands limit supply, and why invite-only apps gain hype.
→ Strategy: Create exclusivity — beta invites, limited editions, premium tiers.
2. Social Proof Through Rebellion
"People didn’t want potatoes until it seemed like the elite had them and didn’t want them to. Reverse psychology meets social status."
→ Strategy: Use desirable friction — the idea that your product isn’t for everyone, or that insiders get special access.
3. Reframe the Narrative
"Instead of convincing with logic (nutritional value, affordability), Frederick told a new story — one of royalty and rarity."
→ Strategy: Don’t lead with features. Lead with status, emotion, story, identity.
4. Design Perception into the Experience
"The guarded potato field wasn’t about security — it was a performance, a psychological nudge."
→ Strategy: Design your brand cues (packaging, messaging, UX, ads) to evoke the right assumptions.
“If something is worth guarding, it is worth stealing.”
— King Frederick the Great, accidental brand strategist
Sources:
- The science of storytelling episode from Think School's communication masterclass.
- https://grocurv.com/blog/2020/05/29/first-successful-rebrand-history/
- https://medium.com/@_miguelferreira/frederick-the-great-potatoes-and-the-art-of-rebranding-645682b412d9
- https://www.brandiq.co.nz/law-of-scarcity-and-rebranding-the-potato/
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