Lay's aims to spread smiles across America with toothy campaign featuring Jordin Sparks
Lay’s is on a mission to spread smiles by releasing specially designed bags featuring infectious smiles in support of a life-changing cause – Operation Smile.
Smile with Lay's benefits Operation Smile / Bennett D. Bennett
For every purchase of Lay’s specially designed bags, a donation will be made to Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity dedicated to improving the health and lives of children and young adults worldwide who suffer from cleft conditions by providing access to safe surgical care. With support from singer and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, and the launch of a three-day pop-up Lay’s Smiles Experience in New York City, Lay’s is giving fans the opportunity to see the power of sharing a smile.
“Lay’s wants to remind everyone that their smiles can make a difference in other people’s lives,” said Sarah Guzman, senior director of marketing, Lay’s. “As a brand that has been celebrating joy for more than 75 years, our ‘Smile with Lay’s’ campaign features a partnership with Operation Smile so that each time someone gets a Lay’s Smile bag, they also help to give a smile to a child in need.”
To help launch the event, Lays, with help from Omnicom agency The Marketing Arm, launched a pop-up Smiles Experience in Times Square, with a guest appearance from Sparks, and some Instagram-ready features.
A recent Lay’s survey of over 1,000 people found that those polled believe that smiling makes a positive difference not only in their lives, but also in the lives of others. Nine out of 10 people said seeing other people smile makes them happy and 95% also agreed they would smile more often if they knew it could brighten someone’s day.
“Our brain mimics emotions we see in others, allowing us to experience what they are feeling so we can better respond,” said Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage. “Since smiles are contagious, we need to make a conscious effort to smile more ourselves so that we can start creating a positive ripple effect with others. Research in my new book Big Potential shows the power of this ‘virtuous cycle’ – when you smile, it spreads to those around you, and then comes full circle back to you. One simple smile shows how connected we are to each other.”
Operation Smile celebrity ambassador Sparks is helping launch Lay’s Smiles Experience featuring unique installations designed to make its guests grin from ear to ear.
“Smiling is something that comes so naturally to me that it’s hard to ever imagine what it would feel like if I couldn’t share my smile with the world,” said Jordin Sparks. “That’s why I’m so honored to partner with Lay’s and Operation Smile as we encourage people to simply smile for a good cause. We have the opportunity and ability to help spread smiles and make a difference in so many kids’ lives one smile at a time.”
Fans can find Lay’s specially designed bags on store shelves in retail locations nationwide starting February 12 through April 7. To support Lay’s in its mission to spread millions of smiles, fans are encouraged to get a smile and give a smile. For every bag purchased, a donation will be made to Operation Smile up to $1m. Starting in late February, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase custom Lay’s bags featuring their own smile at Lays.com.
