Dive Brief:
- Lay's this week kicked off a marketing campaign that taps into its ongoing partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League, the Frito-Lay company announced in a press release.
- A 60-second hero ad stars soccer champions Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and Lieke Martens getting distracted by a fan in the stands opening a bag of chips. The players also appear in additional behind-the-scenes footage.
- To support the video ad, Lay's updated its classic yellow packaging with a special-edition UEFA Champions League design. Each football star appears on a unique bag design.
Dive Insight:
Lay's is extending its ongoing sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League to reach soccer fans in the run-up to the tournament's May 30 final match. The Frito-Lay brand, owned by PepsiCo, leans heavily into star power for this campaign, featuring Messi, Pogba and Martens at the center of the commercial, exclusive video content and limited-edition packaging.
Lay's has leaned on athletes' celebrity heft to promote its snacks around sports and entertainment events for years. For the Super Bowl in February, it featured in a spot starring former NFL stars Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Tony Gonzalez and Terry Bradshaw discussing via video chat which chips they plan to bring to the game. Additional celebrity-centered efforts includes Lay's recent partnership with NBC competition show "The Voice" and judge John Legend for a campaign integration and digital trivia. During the competition, which runs through April 17, Legend will encourage viewers to visit the a microsite to answer weekly trivia questions about the show for the chance to win Lay's prizes.
The Frito-Lay brand has frequently extended its digital ads and online efforts into the physical world via limited-edition packaging. The latest bag designs sporting the soccer stars follows Lay's packaging redesign in September — its first since 2007.
Parent company PepsiCo is also a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League tournament, running ads for its classic soda starring Messi, Pogba, Mo Salah and Raheem Sterling. The "Play Never Stops" campaign also includes special-edition packaging featuring the players that activate interactive mobile experiences using QR codes.
