Stuff You Probably Don’t Remember Eating: Lay’s Baked
‘Healthy’ & ‘Snacks’, two words that look like they are at war with each other.
It’s true.
Since 2012, they have been fighting a very public battle in India at least.
In the year predicted by the Mayans to be Earth’s final year (they were 4 years ahead of predicting the Trump regime), Lay’s India introduced its Baked selection.
With bold flavors including Green, Yellow & Red, the 50% reduced fat chip sparked controversy, much like ‘sustainable’ environment-destroying corporations do (*cough* *cough* Nestle.)
Nutritionists cited that the baked version included more sodium and had slightly fewer calories than the classically fried chip. What would the Lay’s marketing team do in this situation?
A. Release an advertisement that debunks these claims.
B. Accept its flaws and sell the healthy lifestyle that accompanies the chip.
Answer?
C. Create an ambiguous and forgettable television video commercial.
In the carefully made ad, (mostly tampered by marketing executives, video producers and the actors themselves), four women are shown eating the baked chips and indulging in gossip to the point of gibberish.
It makes sense to include your demographic in your ad, but to stereotype them? That’s just insulting.
The narrator chimes in to say, “You didn’t understand what they are saying, didn’t you? How would you understand?” He then shouts into the microphone proclaiming, “THE NEW BAKED LAY’S ARE HERE, WITH 50% LESS FAT, SO EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.”
This raises so many questions.
Why are they talking with their mouth full? How did they even link gossip with ‘eat as much as you want’? Why am I talking about this obscure and pointless ad? Why did I break the fourth wall with the previous question?
My best guess is that if you learn that certain snacks have very few calories, you are going to stuff your face with them constantly. Either that or, Lay’s went with the old ‘If you can’t convince them, confuse them’ trick.
Whatever they did, it didn’t work.
A lack of a recognizable tagline and a lack of a brand sponsor (No Saif this time) could also be the reason why the chip faded into obscurity. Just like rock and roll, disco and Himesh Reshammiya’s career, Lay’s Baked is dead.
Back to the chips, was Lay’s Baked any good?
Short answer: Yes, they were lighter and resembled more of a cracker than a thin-sliced, deep-fried potato chip that we all know and love.
Lay’s attempt was just the beginning of the ‘Healthy Snacks’ trend, which continues to strike fear in the hearts of moms and nutritionists everywhere.
