CAMPAIGN NAME

The Wavy Cut

CATEGORIES

Best of Europe: Seasonal/Current Events

Best of Europe: Influencer Marketing

CLIENT

PepsiCo Spain

LEAD AGENCIES

Sips And Bites, OMD Spain

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES

( PROBABLY), 2.10 (TEAM RANDOMK SPORTS), Draft Punk

CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION

In Spain, crisps are more than a snack — they are part of social and cultural moments, from aperitifs to family gatherings. Between 2013 and 2023, per capita consumption of potato chips grew 150%, the fastest increase among all food categories, with the segment rising nearly 11% in value in 2023, especially driven by premium products.

Lay’s is Spain’s favorite crisp and has long delivered on its purpose: “to fill the world with joy.” In 2007, Lay’s created the premium segment with Lay’s Gourmet, built on four pillars: an unmistakable crease, superior crunch, authentic flavor, and refined presentation. It quickly captured attention, particularly among post-family households.

After years of growth, Lay’s Gourmet faced challenges from the rise of “me-too” premium competitors and the post-COVID inflationary crisis, which led to a notable drop in sales.

THE CHALLENGE

Lay’s Gourmet, Spain’s flagship premium crisp, had lost 14 percentage points of market share since 2020, falling behind private labels that offered cheaper, commoditized alternatives. The premium segment had lost emotional value, seen as functional and undifferentiated, while the brand struggled to engage key audiences — young people and families, who account for 65% of the salty snacks market.

Generation Z, in particular, seeks shareable, culturally relevant experiences, valuing social proof and influencer recommendations. The challenge was to reclaim category leadership, restore the emotional value of premium crisps, and rejuvenate the brand, all in the highly competitive Christmas season, when salty snacks compete with sweeter categories and advertising noise is at its peak.

Launching Lay’s Wavy Cut in this context required breaking category codes, creating an emotional connection beyond the functional, and standing out in a saturated market.

STRATEGIC APPROACH AND EXECUTION

Research revealed that Spaniards aim to feel special at Christmas, expressing themselves through style, particularly hairstyles. Analysis of fashion and lifestyle trends showed the “Wavy” hairstyle peaks during the festive season, indicating strong cultural relevance. Influencers were identified as key cultural gatekeepers capable of embedding the product authentically into style conversations. The Forqué Awards, Spain’s top movie awards, provided a high-visibility, style-focused platform. Seven influencers appeared on the red carpet sporting elegant, festive waves, generating media and social buzz around the trend of the season without visible branding.

In subsequent days, the same influencers revealed that Lay’s Gourmet Wavy Cut inspired their looks, supported by a prominent billboard in Madrid, visually linking the product to the hairstyle and transforming an aesthetic coincidence into a cultural moment. A pop-up salon in Madrid allowed consumers to try the hairstyle and experience the product directly. Editorial coverage in Vogue, social media amplification, and out-of-home placements in premium areas of Madrid and Barcelona reinforced the connection between the snack and festive style.

The campaign leveraged the wavy shape of the crisp to align with red-carpet hairstyles, elevating Wavy Cut from a snack to a symbol of style and celebration. This approach integrated the product into cultural conversations, resonated with younger audiences, and positioned Lay’s Gourmet as part of stylish, festive moments. By embedding the product in lifestyle and media habits, the campaign transformed a traditional crisp into a cultural phenomenon, standing out amidst holiday noise while enhancing brand relevance and desirability.