The chips in Lay’s bags come from real potatoes. Carefully selected and purposefully grown potatoes. This is what the PepsiCo brand wants to remind consumers with its new visual identity and the reformulation of its product, a movement that it describes as “the biggest brand redesign in almost 100 years” of his story.

Lay’s begins a new stage of the brand, reaffirming its commitment to quality ingredients and unmatched flavor. To achieve this, it has renewed its logo and packaging design, in a process that began two years ago and has been carried out by PepsiCo’s internal Design and Innovation team.

The journey of the potato from the ground to the hands of consumers is what has articulated the creative concept. It is the same idea that focused on the ad that the brand activated during this year’s Super Bowl, titled “Little Farmer”, and which sought to highlight the real stories behind each potato chip and the company’s commitment to natural ingredients.

In a statement, Lay’s points out that 42% of people who enjoy their potatoes do not know that they are made with real potatoes, grown on farms. The update of the identity seeks to make consumers aware of this value proposition, as well as to convey that the company is eliminating artificial flavors and colorings in its product in the United States.

The new design of Lay’s

The renewal of Lay’s image includes a new logo, last updated in 2019 but based on the design implemented in 1995. The symbol maintains the sun as a basic element, but the design team has opted to make it warmer and more distinctive, giving greater prominence to the rays, called “Lay’s Rays”. Now these are projected from the logo in a nod to the light that helps the potatoes grow in the field.

The logo also maintains the recognizable red band, which evokes a gift ribbon, conveying the idea that potatoes are a gift from the earth. This ribbon is what has also inspired the new typography, more cheerful and artistic and designed to emulate the shapes of the red band.

“The new visual identity pays homage to the humble farm-grown potato, where every Lay’s potato chip is born, and highlights the ingredients that deliver the unmatched taste that consumers have always loved.” explained Alexis Porter, PepsiCo Vice President of Marketing for Lay’s Global, in a statement.

Lay’s new packaging

The update includes a new packaging design, which presents a new color palette for each Lay’s flavor and has been inspired by the main ingredients of each of them. The yellow continues to refer to the classic version of potatoes, while the light blue represents the chili version.

Photography has focused on showing the quality and flavor of each Lay’s variety with vivid images that highlight the color, texture and seasoning of each potato. On the packaging, the logo appears at the top of a label that resembles a cockade and makes Lay’s a seal of quality.

In addition, now all varieties will include images of potatoes on their packaging, since until now only the classic version did. The background image of the bags is a wood pattern, reminiscent of a kitchen cutting board or a touch of country elegance. The bags will be presented in matte in many markets, seeking a more tactile and sensory experience where the consumer can perceive a different texture.

“This redesign, the brand’s largest in almost a century, is a love letter to our origins“said Carl Gerhards, Senior Director of Design at Lay’s Global, in a statement.”With the new visual identity our team created a flexible design system that celebrates the brand’s famous flavors in countries around the world.“.

Elimination of artificial ingredients in the United States

The new identity not only represents a change in the brand, but also involves a transformation of processes. And the company has proposed that all of Lay’s main products in the United States be made without artificial flavors or colors by the end of this year. Other varieties, such as baked ones, also see our recipes reformulated with new oils and less fat.

The company’s goal is to adapt to new consumer demands and set a new standard for the future of gastronomic culture. In addition, the packaging redesign and reformulation hope to provide greater transparency for consumers.