Frito Lay contest gives customers reason to smile

Frito Lay Canada has just a launched the Canadian version of a global campaign designed to bring smiles to faces.

The playful and interactive #SmileWithLays encourages consumers to upload a selfie at the contest site and apply one of the “fun flavour filters”— each filter includes a chip bag with a wide smile at the top of it, which can be super imposed over the face in the uploaded photo.

The campaign has already run in several international markets including Thailand, Egypt, Pakistan and China and comes as social media photo filters enjoy massive popularity around the world—most famously by Snapchat where selfies are digitally embellished with everything from puppy dog ears to animated rainbows pouring from mouths.

“The campaign has driven incredible growth for the brand in each of the markets such as Mexico and China,” said Shereen Yasseen, a senior director of marketing for Frito-Lay at PepsiCo Foods Canada. “The campaign has also driven significant improvement on brand health in Egypt and Thailand.”

Aside from the contest site, the #SmileWithLays campaign includes special packaging with wide smiles printed onto the bags of Lay’s core flavours (Classic, Salt and Vinegar, Dill Pickle, BBQ, and Ketchup), which are on shelves now, as well as point of sale materials, TV, social media and PR.

Simply by registering, consumers get 25 chances to win a prize ranging from daily $25 Cineplex gift cards, to a GoPro camera each week until the contest closes in late April and a grand prize trip for four valued at $10,000.

Each “smile selfie” uploaded gets the entrant more chances to win and those odds go up when they share the campaign with friends on Facebook and Twitter. The contest began Feb. 27 and runs until April 22.