Lay’s ‘Smiles’ campaign reloaded

Lay’s potato chips, which is PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay unit, is bringing back its limited-run “Smiles” packaging with more than 70 new designs of its chip bags that show the smiles of 30 people who are helping their communities, according to details shared with Marketing Dive. These “Everyday Smilers” include people who have helped others facing homelessness, hunger or limited access to healthcare services, among other causes.

Story telling via QR codes

Lay’s “Smiles” campaign is proving to be an enduring effort for the snack brand with its third iteration in the past few years. The campaign takes on new relevancy this year and could have a greater emotional impact for consumers who may be seeking more joy in their lives as masks prevent them from sharing smiles, on top of having a long list of things to be worried about in a year that’s seen a pandemic, economic turmoil, natural disasters and social unrest.

A strong reception for previous iterations of the campaign could be one reason for its longevity. Lay’s last year printed QR codes on chip bags, letting consumers scan the special codes with their smartphones to learn more about the person featured on each bag. More than 71,000 people scanned the codes, a sign that consumers sought to engage with the campaign after buying Lay’s chips.

From selfies to professional design

Lay’s reboot is the latest example of how marketers have shifted plans for photo shoots during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of bringing its “Everyday Smilers” to Dallas for a professional photo shoot in March — just as many cities and states were enforcing temporary lockdowns — Lay’s quickly pivoted by sending instructions on how to take a selfie with a smartphone.

Because the pandemic disrupted a planned photo shoot with the “Everyday Smilers,” Lay’s asked them to take selfies on their smartphones and submit them digitally. Lay’s used computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology to enhance the amateur selfies and transfer them to its packaging.

As part of the “Smiles” campaign, Frito-Lay reintroduced for a limited time three of its “fan-favorite” chip flavors: Fried Pickles with Ranch, Kettle Cooked Beer Cheese and Hot Sauce.

Smile Operation

At a time when people are looking for something to smile about, the campaign’s goal is to raise as much as $1 million for Operation Smile, a medical charity that provides surgical care worldwide to people with cleft conditions.

Lay’s focus on community impact comes as more brands aim to demonstrate their commitment to helping others, a message that has become heightened during the pandemic.

Complementary categories

Parent company PepsiCo is seeing strong growth in its Frito-Lay snack division as more consumers eat at home instead of going out to restaurants or having lunch at the office or in school. Frito-Lay North America reported sales growth of 6% in Q2 from a year earlier, contrasting with PepsiCo’s 3.1% drop in revenue as soft drink sales slipped with the closures of restaurants, movie theaters and sports stadiums. The snacking mini-boom led PepsiCo to launch two direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites that let people order products for home delivery, including one dedicated to its snack brands. Snacks.com has more than 100 Frito-Lay products including Lay’s, Tostitos, Cheetos and Ruffles, as well as dips, crackers and nuts.