- ABC viewers might feel a way of déjà vu on Friday (Feb. 2) as Lay’s runs a marathon of ads inspired by the movie “Groundhog Day” and its titular holiday, in accordance with a press release. Lay’s is the only sponsor of the activation.
- The creative stars Stephen Tobolowsky, who plays Ned within the 1993 comedy classic, as he repeatedly visits a checkout counter manned by Artemis Pebdani and slowly realizes he’s stuck in a time loop. Each of the eight custom spots promotes a distinct chip variant, and the ads will air a complete of 75 times throughout the day.
- “Groundhog Lay’s” is the results of a collaboration between the snack marketer and Disney Advertising, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot creative studio. This is the primary promoting deal of its kind for each Lay’s and ABC owner Disney.
Excessive ad frequency is a typical gripe amongst viewers, but what if a campaign was structured across the concept? Lay’s and a raft of partners, including Ryan Reynolds’ buzzy Maximum Effort agency, are positioning repetition as an revolutionary media strategy, drawing on a beloved Bill Murray vehicle that depicts a hard-edged cynic softened up by having to live out the identical day over and over again.
While the Frito-Lay snack brand didn’t enlist Murray for the holiday-focused effort — Jeep beat it to the punch with a winning “Groundhog Day” Super Bowl campaign several years ago — the ads still tip a cap to their source of inspiration by giving the starring role to Tobolowsky, who plays persistent irritant Ned in the unique film.
The eight ads, running over 4 minutes in total, show Tobolowsky growing increasingly aware and distressed by his time-loop predicament as he brings different Frito-Lay chips to the checkout line and experiences the identical conversation a few broken register with Pebdani, an actor consumers could also be aware of from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” When Tobolowsky finally breaks down and asks if he’s ever getting out of the hellish situation, Pebdani responds by asking if he even knows what number of Lay’s flavors there are, implying he’ll proceed revisiting his checkout nightmare for each chip variant available.
Lay’s slate of spots will run 75 times on Groundhog Day, accounting for a full third of ABC’s business inventory. The ads will appear around programs including “Good Morning America,” “GMA3,” “General Hospital,” “Shark Tank,” “20/20” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” in addition to during AMC’s marathon broadcasts of the “Groundhog Day” movie. To drive digital engagement, the campaign will extend to YouTube and Hulu for a further 4 weeks with the help of targeting and frequency tools.
While many TV buys are slated months upfront via upfront deals, “Groundhog Lay’s” got here together in only two weeks based on a pitch from Maximum Effort. The celebrity-backed agency, an everyday Kimmelot collaborator, has developed a repute for jumping quickly on cultural discussions and flipping them into self-referential marketing.
Read the complete article here
