Potato Power: How Lay’s and Anitta Invited Audiences to #StayGolden
Potatoes. Everyone knows them, most love them. But, what are they really? You might be thinking, they’re obviously the starchy vegetables that we could bake, fry, mash, etc. to make delicious foods.
Well, yes. But, they’re also a source of power & electricity.
On January 17, 2023, potato chip brand Lay’s, in collaboration with Brazilian superstar Anitta, set a Guinness World Record when it launched its new Latino TV spot, “Beat of Joy,” whose music was powered entirely by over 6,000 potatoes. Here’s how they did it:
The “Beat of Joy” Campaign…
As part of Lay’s “Stay Golden” platform (launched at the 2022 Super Bowl), the campaign aimed to encourage audiences to always choose joy and positivity. Specifically, this installment also had an added objective of expanding the brand’s customer base to reach younger Latino and multicultural consumers.
Featuring global phenomenon Anitta, and set to a remixed version of her viral hit “Envolver,” the ad celebrates the richness and diversity of the Latino community. This is exhibited through its use of solely bright colors (with a slight focus on yellow, representing happiness and optimism), and its overall content. Working with a diverse team of production professionals, choreographers, and dancers from across the globe, Lay’s aimed to authentically showcase the power of reggaetón, a type of Puerto Rican popular music combining reggae rhythms with hip-hop influences, and voceteo, a Puerto Rican and Dominican phenomenon of modifying car sound systems to play music at elevated levels.
Further, sticking to her fun, optimistic, and lively nature, Anitta ends the ad with the phrase “Sigue Brillando,” which directly translates to “keep shining” in English. With this, she shortly and sweetly concluded by inspiring viewers to live by the #StayGolden mentality.
Dying to see the ad now? Without further ado… the “Beat of Joy” TV spot:
The Audience Interaction…
Post-launch, Lay’s stimulated viewer engagement by setting up a sweepstake on social media, urging consumers to comment #StayGolden on its official Instagram and/or Twitter account(s). From there, select consumers were then chosen to win a voceteo kit, signed by Anitta, that played the “Envolver” remix, and a limited-edition bag of Lay’s chips.
Today, just 7 weeks after the launch, Lay’s post about the ad has garnered over 10.5 thousand likes and comments. This translates to about a 1.5% engagement rate on this one piece of content, on this one platform alone. Seeing that the 2022 median Instagram engagement rate across all industries was 0.67%, a 1.5% engagement rate on one post hence represents quite an achievement.
The Results…
From setting world records to reaching high engagement rates, the “Beat of Joy” campaign proved quite successful.
Further showcasing its worth, the ad also gained quite a bit of earned media, enhancing Lay’s brand awareness. Seeing their innovative take on a science experiment, AdAge, Marketing Dive, People.com, and other renowned media outlets posted articles about the phenomenon. Specifically with People.com, the outlet kept the story going by interviewing Anitta regarding her experience on set, and her nostalgic relationship with Lay’s potato chips.
Overall, as Anitta fans worldwide united to comment all over Lay’s official social media accounts, the campaign not only achieved its objective of reaching younger Latino and multicultural consumers, it managed to attract secondary audiences as well.
Currently, the brand still has this collaborative campaign prominently posted on its website, reminding fans to always #StayGolden.
The Conclusion…
In today’s crowded environment, brands need to find innovative ways to stand out and cut through the noise. Lay’s did exactly that with potato power, and it definitely paid off.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts on their campaign!
