Tzekiat Tan, managing director of BBDO Shanghai, said that many Chinese people feel big pressure in their everyday lives, from career challenges, exam pressures, and rising prices. Thus Lay's has a new brand philosophy that promotes finding the small pleasures in life.
The tagline for the new Pepsi Cola Chicken flavour of crisps, 百事可乐事, is laden with double meanings and can translate roughly as "100 happy things happening at once."
For the launch of the campaign—which includes print, a teaser ad, a TVC, and online activities—Tan said Lay's and Pepsi decided to play a little joke to create buzz and make consumers smile.
The TVC for the new product starts out looking like a sequel to a prior Pepsi commercial that ran around Chinese New Year earlier this year. Chinese celebrities Show Lo (羅志祥) and Huo Si Yan (霍思燕) play the couple in the TVC. When Huo finds that there is no more Pepsi in the fridge, she asks Lo to go out and buy some more for the cola-flavoured chicken dish she is cooking. But the twist ending shows the couple enjoying the new crisps instead.
"It is not only introducing the appetizing flavour, but also make people smile at the twist," Tan said. BBDO is also partnering with QQ.com to engage with consumers to share their "little happy things" like photos or songs to extend the happiness-sharing theme.
