Dive Brief:

• PepsiCo's Frito-Lay unveiled its first holiday campaign, which includes a parody of the well-known song "Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music" in a two-minute music video starring actress Anna Kendrick. The elaborate production includes updated lyrics such as "bright yellow Lay's bags" and a "snack table that is fit for a king," according to details provided to Marketing Dive. 
• The video also includes appearances by Teresa Dahlquist of the reality TV series "Golden Sisters," and actor Matty Cardarople. Solvang Bakery in California built the gingerbread house that is decorated with Frito-Lay snacks.
• The campaign also includes a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the music video and another video where the brand asks Kendrick about her own Favorite Things about the holidays.

Dive Insight:

Frito-Lay is leaning into a growing body of research pointing to the growing consumer preference of snacking over traditional meals, according to a recent Mondelez International report. Frito-Lay's own research indicates that snacking's role for consumers really shines during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's, with Americans ranking snacks/food as their second-most favorite way to celebrate holiday traditions after spending time with family and friends.

With Kendrick, Frito-Lay has found a spokesperson who appears to be popular with millennials and has a track record of bringing fun and excitement to brand marketing, as she has previously done in ads for Hilton. Her appearance in several digital videos are likely to appeal to younger consumers looking for entertaining content to consume and share online.

The new, big production holiday campaign arrives amid a boost in advertising spend by parent PepsiCo, which said last month it had increased advertising and marketing spend 12% this year. The company also noted that Frito-Lay North America, whose brands include Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles and Fritos, lifted its revenue 5.5% in Q3 compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of PepsiCo legacy brands are feeling the love as the company doubles down on marketing. In September, Fritos unveiled its first creative campaign since 1971, a digital-only ad effort that showed how the snack added to memorable events like a football-watching party. Also in September, Lay's came out with its first packaging redesign in a dozen years. The redesign featured a smaller logo, less text and additional visual components, and was accompanied by a relaunch of the brand's website.