MUMBAI: Lay’s has launched a new digital campaign for its recently introduced “thinnest range of chips” – Lay’s Wafer Style. Titled ‘#TheThinPossibleChip’, the campaign encourages fans to try fun and quirky magic tricks using the flavourful and light, “Lay’s Wafer Style – a chip so thin and paper-like, that it disappears.”
Kick-started by brand ambassador Alia Bhatt, and Bollywood actor Siddhant Chaturvedi, the campaign shows the actors enthralling the audience as they perform magic tricks using the flat-cut and paper-thin Lay’s Wafer Style. In the video, Alia can be seen holding the thin chip in her hand and making it magically disappear as she clicks her fingers. Towards the end, she throws #TheThinPossibleChip challenge to her fans and asks them if they can make the Lay’s Wafer Style chip disappear.
Taking a cue from Alia, several celebrities including Raghav Juyal, Anushka Sen, Gauhar Khan, and Jasmin Bhasin have joined the campaign on social media.
PepsiCo India director-marketing (Potato Chips Category) Shailja Joshi said, “Lay’s Wafer Style is the thinnest chip from the house of Lay’s and we’ve received an overwhelming consumer response that has further encouraged to drive the messaging of the thin and light chip with #TheThinPossibleChip campaign. The digital campaign brings alive the unique attributes, especially the thinness of the chip in a fun and playful manner with celebrities and content creators performing illusions and making the Paper Thin, Wafer Thin chip disappear.”
Lay’s is also engaging with influencers by sending them Lay’s Wafer Style hamper which includes a stylish T-shirt and Lay’s Wafer Style packs in three special flavours – Salt & Pepper, Tangy Treat & Sundried Chilli, and engaging with them to highlight the paper-like thinness of the Lay’s Wafer Style chips through entertaining illusions and tricks.
MUMBAI: The world around us has undergone a paradigm shift in the last year. The little joys that we took for granted – be it eating out at our favorite restaurant with family or catching a movie in the theatre over the weekend, or simply hanging out with friends after work – all activities have become wishful nostalgia. Keeping in mind these inescapable realities of the new normal, brands have come up with creatives to cheer flagging spirits with a dash of humor and empathy. But, at the same time, encouraging people to stay at home and stay safe. Here are a few ideations that we felt measured up to the task at hand.
Pepsico’s Wafer Brand Lays released a new commercial with a short, crispy humorous take on WFH, while pushing itself as the best snack for a quick five-minute break from work.
Fevicol : The Pidilite Industries-owned adhesives brand shared a picture of a crowded market with people, both with and without masks swarming the street on Instagram. Fevicol took a tongue-in-cheek swipe on the picture using its own campaign of ‘FEVICOL KA JOD, MAJBOOT JOD’ with the words: “This Is Not A Fevicol Ad, Now Is Not A Good Time To Stick Together” adding “Kyunki chehre par mask aur do gaz ki doori, abhi bhi hai bohot zaroori.” (Because a mask on the face and six feet distancing is still very important)
Swiggy : For all those of us who still find it difficult to accept that it has been a whole year and more of staying indoors with WFH and social distancing, this Swiggy India creative rubs it in. It covers all those ‘Masterchef’s who mastered cooking during the extended lockdown- from a shapeless, burnt roti in March 2020 right through to a perfect gol one in 2021!
‘Still can’t accept the fact that it’s already March 2021’
Durex India : The Condom brand came up with a cheeky play on words, reminding people that while indoors their product offers protection, outside it is the humble mask. It shared a post saying ‘Wear two masks for better protection outdoors and one as usual for indoors.’ It further added: “According to the CDC report, wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask can provide “substantially improved source control” as well as reduce exposure of the wearer.”
grofers : The online grocery delivery service made a point of emphasizing staying indoors, with an attention-grabbing caption of ‘Places to Explore’. The post creatively showcases how within the four walls of our home, one can have a fulfilling day. Let’s continue to be the second line of our frontline by staying at home.
Nykaa Man : The e-commerce platform for men’s grooming came up with a detailed list of To-Dos and helpful suggestions of ‘Lockdown therapeutic exercises’ to help chase WFH blues away:
OYO : Online Hotel booking site took a brilliant dig on people who wear a mask, albeit on the chin or hanging from an ear- anywhere but on their face! “No mask. No check-in. Take a pledge to abolish the chin diaper, the neck warmer, the nose flasher. #WearAMask, properly.”
McDonald’s Happy Meal : The junk food brand highlighted the brand’s Happy Meal with caution. “Right now, a Happy Meal is the one you have at home!” Let our Happy Meal make you happy at home! Stay safe and order in.
Starbucks India : The Coffee brand creative talks about how Life has changed- with WFH, Zoom meets, video calls, and discovering new ways to stay connected with our loved ones. Because some things don’t change whether you work from the office or work from home.
“Because even though we’re apart, Coffee has always brought us together.”
Zomato : The Food delivery service harked back to the good old days when the world looked a bit different from today with a wonderful video reminding everyone that the only way to get back to that time was- by staying home and getting vaccinated ASAP. ‘Let’s bring back the good ol’ days!’
Till that happens and till the world returns to some modicum of normalcy, all we can do is grin and bear it- behind our masks, of course! Meantime, brands can keep churning out more such imaginative communication to remain connected with their audience
NEW DELHI: PharmEasy has brought in former Zomato CMO Gaurav Verma to lead its marketing operations.
"Delighted to announce that I am joining the excellent team at PharmEasy! They have built a phenomenal quirky brand and am super excited to see what new heights we can take it to," said Verma in a post on his LinkedIn profile.
Verma joined Zomato in 2019. Soon, he was elevated to global growth head of dining out for a brief period of six months. Soon, he was given the mantle for marketing in April this year.
He led the brand marketing activities for Zomato throughout the pandemic and spearheaded several interesting campaigns. He exited the food delivery platform in November 2020.
Verma has 15 years of experience in the industry and has worked at leading companies like Pepsico, ITC, Lenovo, and Tata Tea. His longest stint was at Pepsico where he operated in different categories such as Tropicana, Lays, Kurkure, and others.
NEW DELHI: Lay’s, the potato chip brand has been at the helm of influencer marketing through its campaigns for some time now. Last year, it was the Smile Dekho campaign which garnered a massive response and this year, the brand has unveiled #LaysKhol campaign.
However, a common thread in these marketing strategies is how the company is innovatively leveraging the power of packaging design in its brand communication. PepsiCo’s product customised the Lay’s smile packs #SmileWithLays, where nearly 750 influencers were brought on board to carry the campaign through. The influencers were provided with customised Lay's packs with their own smiles printed on the packaging.
This was then boosted by a TVC that featured Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Titled Train Pe Tussle, the ad film showcased brief bickering between the two characters in a train, which is eventually diffused by a smile.
The first phase of the #LaysKhol campaign featured popular cricketers including Virender Sehwag donning his special Baba Sehwag Avatar, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Brett Lee, Harbhajan Singh, and Rahul Tewatia. In the four-part video series, cricketers dabbled in some fun and cheeky banter that not only engaged cricket fans but also drove conversations.
Now, during the festive season this year, the brand has unveiled 18 limited-edition #LaysKhol packs, each of which poses an intriguing question with a quirky answer given inside the packet. It’s an interesting way to get those extra few seconds of face time with the buyer at the crucial time of purchase decision. These special packs have been shared with celebrities, influencers, and friends of Lay’s.
The activity has so far received an overwhelming response, garnering significant mileage for the brand with more than 1,600 organic posts and stories leading to over 3.58 million engagement on social media.
Lay’s decision to capitalise on the same trend back-to-back signifies that newness in packaging leads to good recall and consumers stay with the brand for a little longer. The packaging design reflects the brand identity and brings the brand to life – from the visual appearance and feel of the packaging to its function and sustainability.
Through the multi-channel campaign, the brand objective is to target brand fans, drive engagement, and deepen regional penetration.
However, after running many successful campaigns over the years, why is product packaging gaining prominence in Lay’s marketing plan now? And does this whole exercise give Lay’s an edge over its competitors?
Brand expert N Chandramouli states that the packaged snacks segment has been completely altered due to the lockdown. “Since Lay’s products are largely standard, other than a flavour change once in a while, they have few options to engage the consumer, and one of them is the packaging design or social media campaigns aimed at engaging the youth. India has a wide variety in packaged snacks for consumers, unlike the Western markets, and Lays has been facing tough competition over the years, with the pandemic only beating them further down.”
Influencer marketing has become a core part in any brand’s strategy, and the lockdown has dialled this up further. Businesses have cut spends on ATL mediums, and more and more, they’re reaching out to the big movers and shakers on social media, which has led to influencers getting a bigger slice of the ad-ex pie. Established brands are slowly moving towards digital campaigns, which are specifically designed keeping the influencer community in mind.
Agreeing that traditional advertising on TV and print has come down substantially for all brands, and they are moving digital because the spends can be controlled, Chandramouli adds: “In digital campaigns, the best engagement is perhaps with influencers who have an engaged audience and create content specifically to suit their audiences. This makes influencers a very important channel for brands, especially considering the after-effects of Covid2019.”
As a consumer, one is more likely to pay attention to content that comes from a trusted source. Network Advertising chief strategy officer Sunit Khot is of the view that influencers are usually a sure-fire way for brands to gain traction in digital marketing. They help in getting more interested and engaged audiences. “Having said all that, I personally feel that influencer marketing cannot be the be-all and end-all of digital marketing. It has its virtues but by no means can it replace other marketing activities that work towards building brand affinity and loyalty.”
Makani Creatives co-founder and MD Sameer Makani believes it is imperative for brands to keep the audience aware and recall at large. “Knowing the fact that we all are under the clout of pandemic and people spend more time digitally, brands have taken social media as a revolutionary tool to promote and connect. Influencer marketing plays a huge role in keeping the audience intact and reaching the masses. In fact, playing with a product package can be a good move only if it resonates well with the audience,” he said.
Lay’s has always touted itself as a cool, youth-centric brand: a fun, ubiquitous snack that can be consumed at any place, any time. But in a competitive market like India where it faces challenge from the strongholds of namkeen and traditional snacks, Lay’s is repositioning itself through meaningful digital campaigns and revamped packaging that thrust its hip quotient – as something consumers can not only eat, but also enjoy. It will be interesting to see if the brand can keep this momentum going in the long run, or drop it like a hot potato.
NEW DELHI: Adding joy and cheer to the upcoming festive season, Lay’s, one of India’s leading potato chip brands, unveiled a fun and quirky #LaysKhol campaign. As part of this campaign, 18 special limited-edition Lay’s Kholo packs featuring an intriguing question on each pack with a quirky answer given inside the pack have been shared with celebrities, influencers, and friends of Lay’s.
The festive campaign comes at the back of recent PepsiCo India and Airtel announcement of the special initiative to offer up to 2GB of free data for the customers. The first phase of the #LaysKhol campaign featured popular cricketers including Virender Sehwag donning his special Baba Sehwag Avatar, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Brett Lee, Harbhajan Singh, and Rahul Tewatia. In the four-part video series, cricketers engaged in fun, quirky and laughter-inducing dialogues that not only engaged the cricket fans but also drove conversations in a clutter-breaking way.
PepsiCo India senior director and category head – foods Dilen Gandhi said, “During the festive season, consumers seek entertaining and light-hearted content. Building on this insight, our new campaign #LaysKhol features a unique brand association with popular cricketers, celebrities, and budding influencers, who are seen creating engaging and enjoyable content. Through the multi-channel campaign, our objective is to target brand fans, drive engagement, and deepen regional penetration. We’re confident that FAN’s of LAY’S will like the LAY’S Kholo pack memento crafted to add a little more fun and make their experience special.”
The activity has so far received an overwhelming response from the netizens and has garnered significant mileage for the brand with more than 1600 organic posts and stories leading to over 3.58 million engagement on social media.
NEW DELHI: Continuing the chain of gratitude initiated by the LAY’S #Heartwork campaign, popular short-form video content creators transcended platforms to showcase their talent through creative renditions of the campaign ode. The #Heartwork campaign is a heartfelt, emotional ode to all the heroes who are working relentlessly against all odds to bring joy to millions of consumers across the country. As part of the association, prominent social media stars who have garnered mass followers, continue to entertain their fans through their unique and engaging content.
Some of the talented creators that are being featured include Jaydeep Gohil aka Hydroman, a mechanical engineer from Rajkot who is also India’s first underwater dancer, Avneet Kaur, a budding reality TV star and actor and Yuvraj Singh aka Baba Jackson, a popular dance sensation who is much-admired for his imitation of Michael Jackson’s moves. Within 48 hours, the videos have got an overwhelming response from the netizens, leading to 2.7 million engagement on social media.
PepsiCo India senior director and category Head- foods Dilen Gandhi said, “We recognise the power of talented creators who bring differentiated content and formats to seamlessly connect, entertain and engage with the consumers. The heartwork campaign has touched millions of people across the country through authentic storytelling. In the recent leg of the campaign, we wanted to reach out to a pool of talented content creators who are constantly engaging and entertaining their audiences through their creative brilliance. We are glad to work with such creators and believe their talent will take them places irrespective of the platform they chose to be on.”
Recently, LAY’s got leading singers and artists including Neha Kakkar, Jassie Gill, Dhvani Bhanushali, B-Praak, Shehnaaz Gill to share their renditions of the #Heartwork ode in support of the initiative and to applaud the efforts of the unsung heroes.
NEW DELHI: Earlier this month, LAY’S, one of India’s leading potato chip brands, launched a campaign to express gratitude towards the unsung heroes of India who have brought joy to millions even in these challenging times. Aptly titled #HEARTWORK, the ongoing campaign is a heartfelt, emotional ode to heroes such as farmers, retailers, truck drivers and many more who are working relentlessly against all odds bringing joy to millions of consumers across the country.
Taking this campaign forward, LAY’S aimed to mobilise partners across the industry to pay a tribute to these unsung heroes who have worked tirelessly to bring joy to millions of consumers in India. The idea was to bring the industry together to express gratitude towards these heroes for their continued hard work in the challenging times, which is actually #Heartwork.
To bring this message alive, LAY’S has done a unique, never-seen-before social media engagement with more than 20 loved brands from across the industry to thank the #Heartwork of numerous unsung heroes of India by sharing special virtual branded LAY’S #Heartwork packs on Twitter and Instagram today. These special branded packs feature custom messages thanking the respective brand and the unsung heroes collectively in a fun and quirky manner. The objective is to appreciate and thank the relentless efforts of the many unseen heroes associated with these brands like Flipkart, Tide, Vistara, etc. for their #Heartwork.
PepsiCo India senior director and category head – foods Dilen Gandhi, said, “At the beginning of this month, we launched a campaign – #Heartwork to thank farmers, truck drivers, retailers, and many more unsung heroes who have brought joy to millions. Maintaining the chain of gratitude, we reached out to leading companies and brands such as Flipkart, Tide, Vistara, Kia and Cadbury and many more, with a customised virtual pack to express our gratitude for their #Heartwork. At the time when consumers couldn’t step out, the unsung heroes played an essential role in providing products & services every day across the country. Their tireless hard work is indeed Heartwork. We hope this will inspire many more brands join this journey and appreciate these unseen heroes.”
Engaging brands and netizens alike, the activity has created a stir on these leading social media platforms. Brands like Flipkart, Zomato, Dunzo, Swiggy, and Whisper have responded to the unique gesture with heartfelt messages thanking members of the supply chain and LAY’S for their #Heartwork. This camaraderie between the brands not only appealed to the netizens but also showcased the collective efforts of leading brands to give back to the unsung heroes of the country.
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MUMBAI: Lay’s has launched a campaign to share gratitude towards the unsung heroes’ who have brought joy to millions. Aptly titled #Heartwork, this campaign is a heartfelt, emotional ode to each hero in the brand’s supply chain who works relentlessly against all odds to ensure Lay’s brings joy to millions across the country.
The campaign film signifies that each pack of Lay’s is a celebration of the #heartwork of unseen heroes; farmers, factory workers, truck drivers, distributors, sales force, retailers, and delivery executives, whom we don’t always get a chance to thank in person. Through this film the brand extends its sincere appreciation and gratitude to them on behalf of the company and every consumer who enjoys Lay’s.
The film applauds the “Heartwork” of the Indian farmer who puts in utmost care and love in growing the best quality potatoes that go into making Lay’s. It thanks the factory workers, who work day and night to ensure production of Lay’s. It recognises the efforts of the truck drivers who often drive long miles across the country, to reduce the distance between the consumer and one of their most loved brands. And, last but not the least, the film expresses gratitude to the retailers and delivery executives who ensure that the snack brand reaches the consumer. It’s a succinct yet heartwarming depiction of #Heartwork from lush green potato farms to fingers that consume a pack of Lay’s with utmost joy.
PepsiCo India senior director and category head – foods Dilen Gandhi said, “Every step of the journey from farm to finger is filled with countless stories of people who face tough challenges but overcome them with dedicated efforts and with a smile on their face. They might be working behind the scenes, but they are the real heroes of the story. With the #HEARTWORK campaign, we want to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to each one of them. It is thanks to their efforts that Lay’s is able to bring joy to millions of consumers in India.”
PepsiCo Foods WPP India lead Ritu Nakra said, “#Heartwork is our latest endeavour acknowledging the tireless spirit of all the people who are behind the scenes who have ensured the uninterrupted supply of Lay’s to the consumers. This community spirit inspired Team WPP to create a warm and touching story of deep gratitude. LAY’S helps build and celebrate connections and with this film we expand the narrative of heartfelt connections to the unsung heroes.”
Lay’s India works with over 24,000 farmers, 4300 factory workers, 2400 distributors, 6.5 lakh retailers, and 5000 sales staff, who are proudly delivering joy across the country each day.
MUMBAI: LAY’S, India’s favorite potato chip brand, today launched their latest series of TVCs for the all new ‘Smile Deke Dekho’ campaign featuring India’s leading Bollywood actors and youth icons Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. With this new campaign, LAY’S brings alive the idea of how a Smile comes in a variety of flavors and goes beyond the conventional boundaries and barriers to establish connections portraying various moods and emotions. The TVCs capture how ‘Smile’ is a universal language and sharing a pack of LAY’S chips with a smile can help build connections effortlessly.
LAY’S has always been the perfect companion for every celebration and good times with friends. For over two decades, LAY’S has been on a mission to bring more smiles to the consumers across the country. To further this proposition, the brand has brought its global Smile campaign to India as ‘LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho’ campaign. Launched for a limited time period, the new LAY’S packaging features six different smiles that capture different moods and emotions through its various flavors.
Expressing his thoughts on the campaign, Mr. Dilen Gandhi, Sr Director, Marketing – Foods Category, PepsiCo India, said, “LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho is based on a simple premise that just like a smile, a pack of LAY’S can build connections between people. And when you combine a smile and LAY’S the results are magical. To tell these stories we have brought together two of India’s best actors – Alia and Ranbir – for the first time on screen together for a series of stories told by one of India’s foremost filmmakers – Dibakar Banerjee. These stories are just the latest chapter in the brand’s two-decade history of building connections. And judging by the response we are getting on social media, one of our best yet.”
As a brand, LAY’S has always closely resonated with the youth of the country and has been a part of all their fun and special moments. With travel being their topmost passion points, the new LAY’S TVCs also portray how LAY’S is a constant travel-partner for consumers in India.
Speaking about the TVC, Mr. Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman Thompson India, said, “In this emoticon crazy world, we wanted to give actual emoting a chance. Our device – the most beautiful emotion ever – a smile. We asked the country to try sharing theirs and that resulted to #SmileDekeDekho. The journey started with packaging design – giving each flavor the smile that went best with it. Then we went live with spots featuring Bollywood heartthrobs Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor – casting them in TVCs as strangers, acquaintances and as a couple – where they taught the country how to use the packs. Slotted for right after – we’re going live on mobile screens across the country – giving those hooked to it, reason enough to look up, and share a smile with the lovely people around them. Just how? You’ll know when it happens, keep watching the series of TVCs on the campaign.”
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, the new TVC captures an interesting conversation between Alia and Ranbir as they embark upon a journey on a train. When Alia asks Ranbir to share, he abruptly refuses thinking she is talking about his pack of LAY’S. Alia then clarifies that she was talking about the seat and taunts Ranbir, as a response to which he quips about having a charming smile. The TVC ends with the trail of the song ‘Smile Deke Dekho’.
The first look of the campaign was revealed earlier last week through a teaser on social media on the occasion of World Smile Day, wherein brand ambassadors, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, were seen exchanging smiles using LAY’S packs.
As a part of the larger campaign for ‘Smile Deke Dekho’ the brand also connected with leading influencers across social media to drive awareness for the new packaging. The smiles of all influencers were mapped and were then matched to our various flavor variants. The brand produced personalized packs of LAY’S, featuring the smiles of influencers that were sent out to them, creating a money-can’t-buy delightful moment for them. The campaign drove huge engagement across platforms generating over 70 million impressions.
National : LAY’S, India’s favourite potato chip brand, has announced leading Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as its brand ambassadors today. As part of the association the stars will be part of LAY’S new campaign – ‘Smile Deke Dekho’ and will be seen featuring in series of films together. The first look of the films was revealed today through a teaser on social media on the occasion of World Smile Day.
LAY’S has always been the perfect companion for every celebration and good times with friends. For over two decades, LAY’S has been on a mission to provide a joyful interruption from their busy days by bringing more smiles to consumers across the country. To further this proposition, the brand has brought its global Smile campaign to India as ‘LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho’ campaign. The campaign comes to life through new LAY’S packaging that showcases how a smile can universally connect and conveys a mood or emotion effortlessly.
As part of the campaign, LAY’S has introduced packs that feature six different smiles that capture different moods and emotions. In the teaser launched earlier today, Alia and Ranbir are seen exchanging smiles using these LAY’S packs. The teaser film released by LAY’S on social media captures Alia as she gives different types of smiles using the packs. Ranbir who appears to join in the fun photobombs the picture with a whacky smile of his own.
Commenting on the association, Mr. Dilen Gandhi, Sr Director, Marketing – Foods category, PepsiCo India, said, “We are thrilled to have Ranbir and Alia on board as brand ambassadors for LAY’S. Not only are they both amazing youth icons but also amongst the most talented actors of their generation. We are confident that combining LAY’S, one of India’s most loved brands with Ranbir and Alia’s talents will enable us to tell the kind of stories that strongly resonate with not just our consumers but the country at large.”
Talking about his association with LAY’S, popular Bollywood actor, Ranbir Kapoor said, “I have always resonated deeply with LAY’S and I’m extremely thrilled to be the face of the brand. It has seamlessly paved a way into the hearts of the young and has been a part of their fun, special and celebratory moments. The new LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho packaging is a beautiful concept and a step forward for the brand to connect with the youth. I believe that a smile goes a long way in building connections with friends and familiar people and LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho is all about the simplicity of sharing a smile.”
Expressing her excitement, leading Bollywood actress, Alia Bhatt shares, “Fun moments with friends are accompanied by packs of LAY’S and to be its brand ambassador is immensely cool and exciting! I love the new LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho packaging and it is so much fun communicating through different smiles on the packs. A smile is infectious and carries the power to instantly uplift and change the mood. I am really looking forward to start off my journey with the brand creating interesting content and storytelling.”
LAY’S Smile Deke Dekho packs are available at INR 10, 20 and 35 price points across all traditional and modern trade outlets.
