How Lay’s Is Reinventing a 100-Year-Old Brand by Returning to Its Roots
Lay’s has unveiled its biggest-ever rebrand, putting real potatoes, ingredient transparency and farm-to-bag storytelling at the heart of its next chapter.
SociapaHQ
Lay’s is one of the most recognisable snack brands in the world. But after almost a century in the marketplace and being the world’s No.1 potato chip brand, the company discovered a surprising consumer insight: many people didn’t know that Lay’s chips are made with real potatoes.
For a brand whose entire identity is built around growing things, farming and ingredient quality, this was both a challenge and an opportunity. As consumers demanded more transparency on ingredients and food origins, Lay’s saw an opportunity to reconnect people to the journey behind every chip.
Simultaneously, the brand was approaching its centenary milestone and needed a revitalised identity that could be relevant for the next generation of consumers whilst retaining the heritage that made it iconic.
The Strategy:
Lay’s chose not to reinvent itself through radical change. Instead, it doubled down on its strongest asset: the potato.
The strategy centred on three pillars:
- Repositioning the potato as the hero of the brand story
- Increasing transparency around ingredients and sourcing
- Modernising the visual identity while preserving brand heritage
The initiative builds on momentum created by the brand's "Little Farmer" Super Bowl campaign, which highlighted the family farms behind Lay’s potatoes and the agricultural roots of the product.
The Insight:
There are more than 4,000 registered varieties of potatoes in the world, but only 10 varieties meet the standards for making Lay's signature chips.
It can take the company up to nine years to develop potato varieties that can deliver the perfect crispness, flavour profile and golden colour that the brand represents in the minds of consumers.
This intense farm-to-bag process became the new ground for the brand narrative.
Lay’s also highlighted its extensive agricultural network, working with more than 100 family-owned farms across North America and sourcing ingredients from growers in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Also Read: McDonald’s India-North & East Launches FIFA Meal Range With Collectible Football
The Brand Transformation
The redesign, created by PepsiCo's Design & Innovation team, represents the largest visual refresh in Lay’s nearly 100-year history.
The new identity gives more prominence to the symbol, while the iconic Lay’s logo has always featured a yellow sun.
The new sun is warmer, brighter and more distinct, reinforcing the link between sunlight and potato cultivation.
The logo now has new visual elements called ‘Lay’s Rays’ that reach outwards to symbolise the sunlight that helps potatoes grow.
Ingredient-Led Colour Palette
The brand's visual system now draws inspiration directly from ingredients.
Colours include:
- Pickle Green
- Hickory Brown
- Savory Red
- Additional ingredient-inspired tones
The palette helps create stronger associations between flavours and the ingredients that define them.
According to PepsiCo executives, the redesign was shaped by two interconnected goals: honouring the brand's agricultural heritage while meeting modern consumer expectations.
The visual identity, product updates and farm-centric storytelling all reinforce a single message: every Lay’s chip begins with a real potato grown by real people.
Rather than introducing a completely new positioning, Lay’s chose to amplify a truth that had always existed but was not always fully recognised by consumers.
The Outcome:
Lay's has taken a familiar product and made it about farming, craftsmanship and quality by putting the potato at the heart of its story.
The initiative demonstrates how heritage brands can remain culturally relevant by rediscovering and modernising them, rather than abandoning their roots.
For Lay’s, the next chapter starts where every chip has always started- in the potato field.
