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Digitally Printed Slam Dunk for Frito Lay’s Ruffles

Frito Lay brand Ruffles’ new Lime and Jalapeño chips pack reflects a first: a collaboration between potato chips and athletes.

GOLD AWARD—Packaging Excellence—Ruffles® Lime and Jalapeño Anthony Davis Bags by Printpack
GOLD AWARD—Packaging Excellence—Ruffles® Lime and Jalapeño Anthony Davis Bags by Printpack

As part of “The Chip Deal”—Ruffles’ endorsement deal with star NBA basketball player Anthony Davis—the two entities co-created an all-new flavor. Davis contributed both to the chip recipe and the FPA Gold Award-winning package design.

Three designs were created, each referencing Anthony Davis’s #3 jersey. Each bag features one of two images of Anthony Davis on one of three different backgrounds, consisting of wavy lines. The wavy lines refer both to Ruffles’ iconic ridges and Davis’s trademarked unibrow. They also represent the spiciness that the jalapeño brings to the flavor, according to converter Printpack.

On the front of the package, Anthony Davis’s jersey and basketball have been turned lime green to coordinate with the wavy background, also done in shades of green. These different greens bring to mind the colors of lime and jalapeño, tying the image to the flavor in the mind and eye of the consumer.

These packages have additional shelf appeal by virtue of the fact that there has never been an athlete on a package of chips in the history of salty snacks according to the companies. The packages resulted in an unexpected experience for fans of both brands when they were introduced at a launch event, and provided to more fans on social media. An Anthony Davis quote on the back of the package speaks directly to the fans, encouraging them to be themselves. “When you’re different from everyone else, you can choose to hide it, or you can choose to own it. You should own it,” he is quoted on the pack as saying. The message “Own Your Ridges™” in text underneath the quote is another reference to Ruffles ridges and Anthony Davis’ unibrow.

The three different packages were made possible by running them in sequence on Printpack’s digital press, resulting in a more efficient run during converting and customer filling.

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