• by Erik Oster , April 16, 2024

As soccer season heats up, Lay’s is debuting a new campaign with arguably the sport’s biggest star.

Longtime brand partner Lionel Messi stars in the “Oh Lay’s” campaign, which centers around the reframing of a familiar soccer chant. In a 30-second ad, Messi is eating a bag of Lay’s in the locker room before a game (we’re guessing most sports nutritionists would not recommend this), when he begins chanting “Oh Lay’s” to the cadence of the “Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé" chant commonplace during soccer matches. The chant quickly spreads throughout the stadium and to fans at home -- all meant to communicate the message that Lay’s is synonymous with the sport.

The campaign debuted on national linear TV today and will be supported by digital, and social media initiatives. Lay’s will continue to run the ad throughout the Leagues Cup, the World’s Cup-style tournament which serves as the playoffs for Major League Soccer running July 26-August 25. PepsiCo is sponsoring the tournament across both its Frito-Lay and Rockstar Energy brand families, as part of a multiyear sponsorship agreement with the league.

In addition to the ad, the campaign also includes limited-edition packaging, and a “Messi Chips For Lay’s Chips” sweepstakes. Among the soccer skills Messi is know for is the “chip shot”: the name for a goal scored by shooting the ball just over the goalkeeper’s head into the net. Seizing the opportunity to celebrate a moment with “chip” right in the name, Lay’s promotional sweepstakes will celebrate Messi’s first “chip shot” goal of the 2024 soccer season. Within 48 hours of the milestone, Lay’s will kick off the sweepstakes, inviting fans to enter by following @lays on Instagram, TikTok or Twitter, liking the post celebrating the moment, and commenting with the hashtags “#OhLays” and “#Sweepstakes.”

Winners will receive limited-edition soccer ball-shaped Lay’s potato chip bags, and one grand prize winner will also be awarded a Lay’s jersey resembling the one featured in the “Oh Lay's’” ad, autographed by Messi.

“One of the best parts of the sport is that it brings families and friends together to cheer on their favorite team, which is exactly what Lay’s strives to do,” Messi said in a statement, adding that the campaign “combines football and Lay's in an iconic way.”

"Oh Lay's" is part of PepsiCo’s broader “Summer of Soccer” push across Frito-Lay and Rockstar Energy brands, which includes exclusive packaging designs, in-stadium experiences, and another promotional sweepstakes providing a chance to win a trip to the 2024 Leagues Cup final. For Messi, the campaign follows the star’s Super Bowl ad debut for Michelob Ultra back in February.