The Smash Martians were a family of metallic robot aliens who starred in a series of 1970s and early 1980s television adverts for Smash instant mashed potato. The campaign showed the Martians watching humans prepare traditional mashed potato on television, then mocking earthlings for their laborious method whilst promoting the convenience of instant granules. The Martians' distinctive personalities and behaviour patterns were developed completely by accident when the puppeteers began messing aro