In 2023, Frito-Lay Variety Packs (FLVP) sought to tie its Back-To-School program to a new purpose platform to increase in-store executions and sales, as well as positively impact this critical area. Its previous Back to School program, Back to School Blast Off, partnered with Space for Her to fund spots in summer space camp for girls interested in STEM.
While it certainly made a positive difference in students’ lives, its impact was limited to summertime, as opposed to school time, and not as synergistic with where FLVP naturally exists in consumers’ lives.
So as a brand deeply ingrained in the school mealtime occasion – a long-standing favorite afterschool snack or accompaniment to lunch - FLVP set out to make a positive impact in this space specifically with its 2023 Back-to-School program.
The brand donated $270k to GENYOUth to provide students with access to 10 million meals through grab-and-go afterschool meal programs. It also funded NFL FLAG-In-School Kits for 100 schools nationwide, providing 55,000 students with increased access to play. The goal of this campaign was to transform it from a timely intervention to a timeless initiative in an ownable territory for the brand.
The initiative was brought to life via in-store programmatic through vibrant thematic packaging, a limited-time ‘Flavor Mix’ pack, and iconographic POS in the shape of school buses, lunchboxes, and schoolhouses. This was well received by the field with representatives ordering 20% more thematic packaging and 15% more POS than forecasted. One representative even reported it was one of the best in-store programs he’s seen in years.
It was also loved by consumers with product sales running 138% vs. Previous Year (sold $2.26M more than the previous year) and 117% vs. Plan (sold $1.2M more than forecasted). A QR code on pack and POS led to the program’s microsite, designed to be desktop and mobile friendly in both English and Spanish, which provided consumers the opportunity to nominate their own school as a possible recipient of an NFL FLAG-In-School kit. With a well-placed and easy-to-complete nomination form, consumer engagement far exceeded expectations with over 500 submissions – FLVP's highest ever!
FLVP also hosted a 1-day NFL FLAG football training camp for 100 students at the Houston Texan’s training facility with special guest coaches JJ and Kealia Watts. The Texans’ cheerleaders and mascot, Toro, made an appearance as well to cheer on the students. The dynamic duo ran students through warm-ups and various football drills. JJ and Kealia also acted as spokespeople for the program, posting about it on their social handles and conducting interviews with local and national media outlets. The publicity from this event and the Watts’ engagement contributed to the program’s whopping impression count of 1.2B!
To take the partnership to the next level, FLVP teamed up with the NFL to surprise a stand-out member of GENYOUth’s National Youth Council, Harmony, with 2 tickets to Super Bowl LVII. NFL Legend Morlon Greenwood joined Harmony's friends and family to surprise her after school with the tickets. In her role on GENYOUth’s Youth Councill, Harmony is dedicated to making a safe, loving, and fun school community for everyone attending, which FLVP wanted to reward with this incredible Super Bowl experience!
The $270K donation created access to 10 million meals while the NFL FLAG-In-School kits for 100 schools provided 55,000 students increased access to play.
The campaign had incredibly positive results beating all benchmarks including:
With thirty million students a year relying on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition and 66% of households in the U.S. qualifying for free lunch at school, expanding access to meals and play with great results made this FLVP’s most impactful Back-To-School program to date.
