Why Pringles Opted to Get Truly ‘Stuck In’ to Super Bowl LVI
43% of Pringles eaters admitted that they have got their hand stuck in a Pringles tube as they dive deep to fetch those last, important potato-based, curvy crisps. The brand's Super Bowl spot, created by Grey New York and directed by MJZ's Tom Kuntz, is inspired by this age-old problem.
It celebrates the life-long journey of one devoted Pringles fan, opening with him getting 'stuck in' as he reaches for that last crisp. The spot goes on to showcase a day-in-the-life look of key milestone moments in kaleidoscopic fashion – from a first date to raising children – all celebrated while enduring the unexpected and amusing consequences of having a Pringles can for a hand.
It's funny, with a surprising emotional twist. LBB's Ben Conway spoke to Peter Alsante, ECD at Grey New York, to find out more.
LBB> Where did the initial creative spark for the spot come from? And how did the idea develop?
Peter> Over the past decade, hundreds, if not thousands, of people have taken to social media to talk about getting their hands stuck in their Pringles can while trying to reach for that last crisp. Many on social media joked about living their life with their hand stuck. So the team wanted to bring this to life while simultaneously putting the spin on it that it’s totally worth it and actually makes for a great life.
LBB> Did the ‘Get Stuck In’ tagline come from you?
Peter> The line came from the creative team and the duality of it felt like a great wink to the spot.
LBB> How many different ideas for funny scenes using the Pringles can did the team come up with? Do you have any favourites? Or any jokes that didn’t make the cut?
Peter> The team went through a ton of different ideas for the scenes. Ultimately, we focused on only the most essential scenes to tell our protagonist’s story - so that the director we’d work with had a lot of room to build the rest with us.
LBB> What does it mean to you to create a Super Bowl spot? Is this the biggest spot that an agency can land?
Peter> The Super Bowl is so much fun. It’s a time when people everywhere look past ads as just ‘commercials’ and see them as entertainment and seek them out on their own. Which we’re always striving for with the work we make. It’s such a better way to create an authentic connection between the brand and the audience.
LBB> Is there added pressure when you do a Super Bowl ad? Or is it more exciting?
Peter> BOTH!
LBB> The spot doesn’t use dialogue and instead uses physical comedy extremely well - did the director and actors have more freedom to improvise and make it their own?
Peter> The director and actor definitely had a ton of freedom to work on the scenes and action and refine as we went along.
LBB> How much collaboration did you have with the director and production crew? How was the experience of working with them?
Peter> Tom Kuntz and his production team were awesome. We shot in Mexico City and the whole team there was incredible. We worked through a lot of the details of the scenes and overall flow through the pre-production process. And then on set, Tom definitely had a vision for the story he wanted to tell. He’s a perfectionist and his attention to detail is incredible.
LBB> How was the production process? Were you on set?
Peter> We shot for three days in Mexico City and were on set. Watching Tom Kuntz work is a sight to see. His energy is so frenetic in the way he’s working with his crew and the talent. It’s a whirlwind, in the best way.
LBB> The soundtrack is very melodramatic and makes the silliness of the man’s predicament even funnier - how did you choose the style and song for the music?
Peter> We knew we could go a few different ways with the song - more upbeat, more sentimental, or even a score - but we wanted something that elevated the storytelling and tone without feeling like the joke of the spot. The Lionel song was one of the first ones we tried and it just fit. This is unusual because finding the perfect song can take forever. We kept trying to beat the song, but nothing came close.
LBB> Lots of brands are looking to do more than just a TV spot this year - metaverse parties, NFTs etc. - but what’s so effective about a more traditional Super Bowl TV spot without added gimmicks?
Peter> Well, the spot was definitely crafted to stand on its own and entertain solely as a piece of film. But there is a social campaign around it, playing up the phenomenon of people complaining about getting their hand stuck in a Pringles can. We turned those real tweets from the past 10 years into teasers for our spot. And then launched a social campaign of replying to all the real people out there on Twitter who have complained about getting their hand stuck in a Pringles can.
LBB> What was the most difficult challenge you faced on this project and how did you overcome it?
Peter> We wanted to make an absurd piece of film with funny moments, but we knew it had to live within a genuinely charming story with characters the audience could feel for and relate to. So we had to constantly keep that balance in mind and make sure we weren’t leaning too far into the comedy, or into emotional storytelling. It’s that balance that creates the fun absurdity here.
LBB> Anything else to add?
Peter> We’re lucky to have such amazing partners at Pringles, who encouraged us to ‘go for it’ throughout the entire creative and production process. It takes that kind of trust and collaboration to make the kind of special work that people care about and connect with.
