Fritos taps country music star Thomas Rhett for first TV spot in 20 years
Fritos hasn’t released a TV spot since the early 2000s, but now it’s back with a 30-second ad featuring singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett. The ad is centered around scenes of wholesomeness and seeks to position Fritos as an iconic American snack.
Thomas Rhett features in a new ad from Fritos
Fritos is back with its first TV spot in 20 years. This time, the brand hits us with some tough questions, among them: which Fritos product is your favorite?
The new ad, called ‘Down for everything,’ features singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett, who has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and was the 2021 Academy of Country Music Male Artist of the Year. Throughout the 30-second spot, Rhett and a friend go through a sequence of leisurely activities, such as fishing, camping, hanging out on the tailgate of a pickup truck and walking down the sidewalk while eating Fritos covered in hot sauce. All the while, Rhett is asking his companion a series of either-or questions, the likes of which people might start asking each other to while away the hours during a long road trip. Some examples include: backroads or highways? College or pro ball? Mild or spicy? The ad culminates in the two men standing in front of a sprawling shelf of Fritos products. Rhett asks: “OK, which Fritos?” Unable to decide, the two of them start frantically grabbing one of everything.
“The spot reminds consumers that, just like friends and family who’ve been around for it all, the Fritos brand is an integrated part of our lives, showing up at the most memorable and timeless moments for almost 90 years,” Frito-Lay senior vice-president of marketing Stacy Taffet said in a statement. “That’s what makes Rhett – not to mention his music, featured in the background – an ideal fit for the new ad: he has an easygoing vibe about him that pairs nicely with the spot’s wholesome themes, and his music meshes seamlessly with the classic Americana imagery that we see from beginning to end.
“Bringing the Fritos brand back to television for the first time in two decades is a huge moment. Fritos is inherently recognized as a brand that has shown up for generation after generation, whether at mealtime occasions or as a snack. It’s the chip down for any dip, meal and moment at our family gatherings or at our community events, and has a lasting tie to our roots. Fritos is a tradition. Those brand values are what make Fritos the stand-up chip that it is.”