February 7, 2018

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Your favorite Lay's potato chip flavors are about to bring a smile to your face for more reasons than one.  

Lay's – one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division – is on a mission to spread smiles in 2018. The brand is releasing specially designed bags featuring infectious smiles to create a ripple effect of smiles across the country in support of a life-changing cause.

For every purchase of Lay's specially designed bags, a donation will be made to Operation Smile, an international children's medical charity dedicated to improving the health and lives of children and young adults worldwide who suffer from cleft conditions by providing access to safe surgical care. With support from Multi-Platinum Recording Artist and Actress Jordin Sparks and the launch of a three-day pop-up Lay's Smiles Experience in New York City, Lay's is giving fans the opportunity to see the power of sharing a smile.

"Lay's wants to remind everyone that their smiles can make a difference in other people's lives," said Sarah Guzman, senior director of marketing, Lay's. "As a brand that has been celebrating joy for more than 75 years, our 'Smile with Lay's' campaign features a partnership with Operation Smile so that each time someone gets a Lay's Smile bag, they also help to give a smile to a child in need."

A recent Lay's survey found that Americans believe that smiling makes a positive difference not only in their lives, but also in the lives of others. Nine out of 10 people said seeing other people smile makes them happy and a staggering amount of people (95 percent) also agreed they would smile more often if they knew it could brighten someone's day.  

"Our brain mimics emotions we see in others, allowing us to experience what they are feeling so we can better respond," said Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage. "Since smiles are contagious, we need to make a conscious effort to smile more ourselves so that we can start creating a positive ripple effect with others. Research in my new book Big Potential shows the power of this 'virtuous cycle' – when you smile, it spreads to those around you, and then comes full circle back to you. One simple smile shows how connected we are to each other."

Partnership with Jordin Sparks     

Americans need a reminder to smile more often. Nine out of 10 Americans surveyed in the Lay's study agree people need to smile more, with nearly 70 percent agreeing that, if we all smiled more, the world would be a more positive place. That's why Lay's kicks off its mission to spread smiles this week with the support of singer and Operation Smile celebrity ambassador, Jordin Sparks. With a recognizably infectious smile herself, Sparks is helping launch Lay's Smiles Experience featuring unique installations designed to make its guests grin from ear to ear. The fun and smile-inducing experience is located in the heart of New York City at 4 Times Square between W 42nd St. and W. 43rd St. and open to the public from Thursday, February 8 – Saturday February 10 from 11:00 AM EST – 6:30 PM EST.   

"Smiling is something that comes so naturally to me that it's hard to ever imagine what it would feel like if I couldn't share my smile with the world," said Jordin Sparks. "That's why I'm so honored to partner with Lay's and Operation Smile as we encourage people to simply smile for a good cause. We have the opportunity and ability to help spread smiles and make a difference in so many kids' lives one smile at a time."           

Fans can find Lay's specially designed bags on store shelves in retail locations nationwide starting February 12 through April 7. To support Lay's in its mission to spread millions of smiles, fans are encouraged to get a smile and give a smile. For every bag purchased, a donation will be made to Operation Smile up to $1 million. Starting in late February, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase custom Lay's bags featuring their own smile at www.Lays.com.  

For more information on the "Smile with Lay's" campaign, please visit www.Lays.com.

For high-res images, broadcast quality b-roll and other press materials about the campaign, please visit www.magicbulletmedia.com/MNR/SmileWithLays.

Methodology

Lay's commissioned an online survey among 1,006 adult Americans (18 years old and older), weighted to ensure national representation across gender, age, region, education, income and race/ethnicity. The survey was conducted between January 9 and January 12, 2018 with a margin of error of +/- 3.07 at the national level with a 95 percent confidence level.

About Lay's

Lay's is one of the brands that makes up Frito-Lay North America, the $15 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/fritolay. Learn more about Lay's by visiting www.facebook.com/lays or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lays. You can also follow Lay's on Instagram by visiting http://instagram.com/lays.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Follow PepsiCo: 

About Operation Smile

Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of safe surgeries for those born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities. With more than three decades of expertise, Operation Smile creates solutions that deliver free surgery to people where it's needed most.  As one of the largest medical volunteer-based nonprofits, Operation Smile has mobilized thousands of medical volunteers from a wide range of medical specialties from more than 80 countries. Operation Smile engages public-private partnerships to advance health care delivery, train local medical professionals to provide surgical care for patients in their communities, donate crucial medical equipment and supplies, and increase access to surgical care so that everyone living with cleft is treated.

Visit www.operationsmile.org.  Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

About Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks is a Grammy nominated, multi-platinum, singer/songwriter and actress who, in one of the show's highest rated seasons, garnered worldwide attention as winner of season six American Idol.  Sparks popular singles have sold over 10 million digital tracks in the US. 

Sparks impressive vocal talent has made her the go-to anthem singer and she has performed at many high-profile sporting events such as Super Bowl (XLII), NASCAR's Daytona 500, Indy 500, etc.  She has also lent her voice to recordings for films such as Disney's African Cats, Beauty and the Beast and Best Man Holiday. She also starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway smash, In the Heights, and made her film debut playing the lead role in the SONY Pictures film, Sparkle, opposite Whitney Houston.  Her next film, GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD, is scheduled for release in 2018.  

 

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America