Dive Brief:
- Pringles is dusting off its “Once You Pop, The Fun Don’t Stop” tagline made famous in the ‘90s while updating the concept for Gen Z snackers, according to news shared with Marketing Dive.
- The phrasing has been adjusted to “Once You Pop, The Pop Don’t Stop” while new ads highlight flavors like a dill pickle variant. The first spot, “The Duck King,” sees a man on a park bench who is coaxed into making “duck lips” with a pair chips, which leads a flock of ducks to swarm the bench and crown him avian royalty.
- The Kellanova-owned brand is playing into Gen Z’s sense of humor while underscoring its “flavor forward roots,” which could appeal to an age group known for its adventurous snacking tastes. CPG marketers broadly are embracing nostalgia as they look to create emotional resonance with older customers while winning over new ones who are key to future growth.
Dive Insight:
Pringles is updating one of its most-recognized taglines with a Gen Z twist, part of a wave of packaged foods marketing that lays the nostalgia on thick. In the case of “Once You Pop,” 69% of surveyed consumers were still familiar with the decades-old phrase, lending the creative built-in brand equity, according to Ipsos data cited in the press release. Pringles previously retired the “Once You Pop” messaging in 2022 in favor of “Mind Popping.”
While the original “Once You Pop” commercials today read as peak ‘90s cheese, showing kids surfing around on giant chips and accompanied by rap songs about the joy of eating Pringles, the modern revamp instead leans into oddball humor. “The Duck King” references an actual snacking behavior — wedging two Pringles chips together to form “duck lips” in one’s mouth — and takes the concept to the extreme as a flock of ducks swarms a man on a date in the park and flies away with the bench as he embraces his position of bird royalty. The ducks then serve up their new king Dill Pickle Pringles at his request, a briny flavor the brand revived last year in response to fan demand and the popularity of pickle-flavored snacks on TikTok.
Agency of record FCB wanted to emphasize a functional aspect of Pringles while drawing out the brand’s playful side and taking things to “an unhinged place that mirrors Gen Z's feed,” said Dan Kelly, executive creative director of the Interpublic Group agency’s New York branch, in a statement. FCB won the Pringles account last year, replacing WPP’s Grey.
The campaign is receiving additional support from agency partners Weber Shandwick, Starcom and CIEN+ while Thomas Ormonde directed “The Duck King.” Pringles will continue the refreshed storytelling approach on its social channels, speaking to how CPG priorities continue to shift to social-first tactics that appeal to Gen Z.
Pringles parent Kellanova has also been investing more in artificial intelligence to draw a clearer line between creative and business outcomes, working with partners like Vidmob and MMA Global on its performance marketing initiatives. The CPG giant is in the process of being acquired by Mars for $36 billion, a mega-deal that could shake up the packaged foods space.
