From 1958 to 1961, Pepsi-Cola invited consumers to “be sociable, have a Pepsi.” Now, a brand sold by another division of PepsiCo is turning to social media as the centerpiece of an ambitious campaign.
The brand is Tostitos tortilla chips, one of the best sellers for the Frito-Lay unit of PepsiCo along with mainstays like Lay’s , Doritos, Cheetos, Ruffles and Fritos. Tostitos chose halftime on Monday night of the college football Bowl Championship Series title game to introduce a campaign that is focused on reuniting consumers with relatives , friends, former teammates and lost romantic partners.
The campaign, called “Tostitos Reunite America,” is housed on a tab on the Tostitos Facebook page. It will be promoted through social media and public relations rather than a traditional advertising campaign with elements like television commercials or print advertisements .
The campaign is among many for a growing list of mainstream brands that are being presented through social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It was not that long ago that it was uncommon for packaged foods like Tostitos to turn to social media. Today, a shopping basket full of brands from companies like Campbell’s Soup, Coca-Cola , ConAgra, Kraft, PepsiCo and Sara Lee are being hawked alongside automobiles, financial services and technology products.
The campaign grows from a persona developed for Tostitos by Frito-Lay and its agency, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, which plays up the brand’s role in creating “connections” among consumers. That has been brought to life through other initiatives like a sponsorship this year and last of a football game, named the Tostitos Connect to Home Bowl, that is played in Iraq between U.S. troops and former college football stars.
During halftime of Monday’s title game – played between Auburn and Oregon in Glendale , Ariz. – Tostitos arranged surprise reunions between some of those troops and their families.
The goal of the campaign is to establish Tostitos as a brand that “brings people together through the power of technology,” said Justin Lambeth , vice president for marketing at Frito-Lay in Plano , Texas.
“Technology is a great enabler ,” Lambeth said. “We can keep in touch with friends; we’re a text or tweet away.”
“But it can also divide us,” he added, so the campaign’s promise of arranging reunions in the real world ought to be appealing. Consumers are being invited to visit facebook.com/tostitos, where they will read a message declaring: “Facebook is great. Face-to-face is even better. Tell us which Facebook friend or family member you’re dying to reunite with. If you’re picked, we’ll set you up with a once-ina-lifetime reunion.”
Lambeth said, “Whether the issue is time, money or distance, we can make it happen.” Frito-Lay is still deciding how many reunions it will finance, he added.
Consumers will be asked to upload video or film clips to the Tostitos Facebook page, making their case to be chosen for the reunions .
“We’re hoping for stories that should make you laugh, make you cry,” Lambeth said, “and motivate you to submit a story of your own.”
The winner or winners will be determined by other consumers, he added, who will vote for their favorite submissions from among the clips.
“Primarily, we’ll look at popularity ,” Lambeth said, “and we’ll overlay a little bit of judgment” to filter inappropriate content. There will be features enabling visitors to Facebook to watch the stories, share the stories and recommend the stories. There will also be a “send a gift” feature by which they can send icons to their Facebook friends. One icon will bear the “Tostitos reunite America” theme. One is less commercial, reading, “Let’s reunite.” Others are more generic , carrying thoughts like “Me and you,” “Here’s to us” and “Miss you!”
Although Lambeth declined to discuss the cost of the campaign , campaigns that are concentrated in social media typically cost less – usually, much less – than campaigns replete with TV spots. According to Kantar Media , a unit of WPP, Frito-Lay spent $27.14 million to advertise Tostitos in major media in 2009. That was up 0.2 percent from 2008, when spending totaled $27.08 million, but down 40.2 percent from the $45.36 million spent in 2007.
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