"Because that year, Idaho had revolutionized license plate design. Before this, license plates mostly only displayed basic information like the state name and the registration numbers on a solid-colored background. But in 1928, the secretary of state in Idaho had an epiphany. He realized that the license plate was the perfect place to advertise a home-grown product, and that product was... a potato."
"Idaho was the first state to slap a slogan on a license plate, which may not seem like a big deal, but it turns out this idea would end up having outsized consequences, and not just for Idaho. Because what started in one state would soon spread. And when it did, the question of what should go on a license plate, and what shouldn't, would prove surprisingly contentious."
Idaho introduced a license plate in 1928 featuring a large potato image and the slogan "Idaho Potatoes", which led to motorists waking to find their plates stolen by souvenir-seeking visitors. The 1928 design represented the first state-issued plate slogan and shifted license plates from pure registration identifiers into objects of promotion and attraction. Early plates had displayed only state names and registration numbers on plain backgrounds. The 1920s rise of road trips amplified public exposure to plates. The Idaho example spread to other states and generated disputes over what imagery or messages belonged on official license plates, transforming plates into contested civic symbols.
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