Where's My Jetpack?: They're CHIPS, for God's Sake

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

They're CHIPS, for God's Sake

I just don't know what to make of this. Aside from sticking the song "Kiss Me" (minus vocals) in my head, which I don't necessarily mind, I'm finding this effort by Sun Chips just a bit strange. Why is everyone out to change the planet in the name of selling something? Live Brightly? I just wanted some chips, thanks anyway.

Personally, I enjoy the delicious taste and crispy freshness of SunChips® brand multigrain snacks from Frito-Lay®, but am I going to jump on board your new effort to change the world with "small steps?"

I've got no problem with people wanting to do nice things and make the world a better place, but THEY'RE CHIPS. It's not a religion.

Please don't get me wrong; I think the notion of Live Brightly is actually a pretty cool idea. But...THEY'RE CHIPS.

And all this chip talk is making me thirsty for an ice cold Coca-Cola®. In fact.....

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to buy the world a Coke
And keep it company
That's the real thing.

(Chorus 2)
What the world wants today
Coca-Cola (background)
Is the real thing

(Repeat chorus 2)
What the world wants today
Coca-Cola (background)
Is the real thing

Labels: Coca-cola, Frito Lay, live brightly project, sunchips

15 Comments:

Most excellent find. Several problems here and I might even take a post to elaborate on them. But the biggest? Believability. Hey, Sun Chips has the whole "healthy" going on...but it's a Frito-Lay product--and they make you order a t-shirt that, um, advertises their product (they should be paying us, or giving 'em away). Also the videos are so superficial and too high quality...plus they only live on the Sun Chips site.

They should have chosen 1 cause (e.g. solar energy) and stuck with it. Better yet? They should have given bloggers money to fund their own initiatives and given them free reign to take their own small steps within their communities and followed those programs (organic play, no?). But that would require complete loss of control (psst: they'd be better for it).

By Anonymous, at July 18, 2007 at 2:14 PM
correction: They do have their videos on YouTube, not just the SunChips site.

By Anonymous, at July 18, 2007 at 2:29 PM
Yeah - those videos are way too staged. Like the guy who makes an extra sandwich every day. His scripted closing line and the shrugging nonchalant exit across the street screamed AGENCY EMPLOYEE.

Hippie Beach Guitar Lady is also not the best spokesperson. "Run in the sand - great - now turn around - give me playful - excellent - now run some more - hands in the air - run in circles - great!"

To their credit, the site design is well-done.

I give this campaign two months to shrivel up and blow away.

By RFB, at July 18, 2007 at 2:53 PM
@CK & JP: Yet another example of why "Your Brand Is Not My Friend"

I go to the site, there's an overly bubbly woman going on in excruciating details about SunChips and they're nutritional breakdown and... I am clicking away faster than you can say "Where'sMyJetpack?"

You know the agency was tasked with trying to capitalize on SunChip's slightly healthy image by creating a web site that could go "viral."

Yup.

By Alan Wolk, at July 18, 2007 at 6:00 PM
Best. Image. Ever.

:)

By Thinking In Vain, at July 18, 2007 at 9:14 PM
the chick running all over the beach in the video? i'd like to take a small step—on her neck.

By HighJive, at July 18, 2007 at 9:24 PM
Wait, I smell Kia verbalosity coming on:

“Their taste is heavonsity on earth.”

By Anonymous, at July 18, 2007 at 9:49 PM
All the hate has been wrung from this post - so I'll offer a little brightliness: This world (specifically the damned planet) NEEDS some fucking saving right now. I wish GMC would get with the plan and start manufacturing a fucking SmartHummer.

I read today that the first Smart Car that will be released in the states is an SUV. Named? The Smart ForMore. as in "For more needy jackasses in the States who can't picture a car so small you can't fit three dead bodies and an 80lb Laborador in the back of it.)

Every fucking brand should be latching onto the save-the-world thing. And - agreed on this point - every brand should be making the shit genuine (And strategically relevant. And attainable).

By James-H, at July 18, 2007 at 11:40 PM
gotta disagree with you, james-h.

every fucking brand should not be latching onto the save-the-world thing. because unless you're a bodyworks, where the attitude is embedded in your dna, the effort comes off as patronizing bullshit. let's keep some separation between corporation and state.

to be clear, every fucking corporation should be latching onto the save-the-world thing. but don't do it to hawk your fucking product. do it because you have social responsibilities. not because you want to sell corn chips and attend commercial shoots with young women in bathing suits.

By HighJive, at July 19, 2007 at 1:25 AM
What HJ said.

By Alan Wolk, at July 19, 2007 at 1:48 PM
highjives is right. Patronizing save the world does not meet the end result. It makes everyone cynical.

And James...yes, every brand should be saving the world...but not so it's ONLY for show. Like, give to charity and get a nice tax break. At least in this sense the charity can put the $$ to feed kids, not push Sun Chips.

Btw, I did some quick research..these chips are actually still fattening. Just FYI.

Can there really be a smart hummer? How can that be? I just can't understand how any hummer can be environmentally friendly.

Disclaimer: I don't own a car at all. I take the subway. And just last week I got a company to instill a new revenue stream for charity. These are the ways to make a difference--not pretending to do it so that I eat your Sun Chips.

By Anonymous, at July 19, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Ok, ok. But we can still do the “attend commercial shoots with young women in bathing suits” thing, yes?

By Anonymous, at July 19, 2007 at 3:34 PM
HJ: Where I was going with the "every brand should be saving the planet" thing was: every brand should be embracing saving the planet. From the product, up. Thus genuine, strategic, and attainable.

Saying it doesn't make it so.
Doing it might.

Bill: I'm just asking for sustainable swimsuits.

By James-H, at July 20, 2007 at 1:35 PM
james-h,

The problem is, nearly every brand is first and foremost seeking profit. Saving the planet, unfortunately, usually runs counter to generating profit.

(also, meant to type “Body Shop” in my earlier comment.)

By HighJive, at July 21, 2007 at 3:51 AM
That is some seriously irritating stuff. Rule number one ad-weasels: PLAN FOR A WEATHER DELAY when scheduling your shoots. The wind is its very own character, and it is only slightly less disturbing than blonde crazy-hair lady. I couldn't hear what she was saying because the visual was scrambling my brain.

CK makes a great point - it's Frito Lay. Of Frito Bandito fame...

Buy a green credit (and take a scenic detour just because you want to burn some extra fossil fuel?)

Blechh.

By Moda di Magno, at July 21, 2007 at 2:24 PM