By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Is it possible to build your dream man? The answer is yes, according to Pringles Big Game ad (and their mascot Mr. P, who gives pop star Sabrina Carpenter the nudge she needs to DIY her own salty soulmate).
For Pringles’ ninth consecutive Super Bowl commercial, ad agency BBDO New York leaned into the new Pringles campaign “Once You Pop, The Pop Don’t Stop.” The spot stars Carpenter who builds “Pringleleo,” a boyfriend made entirely of Pringles. Viewers get a peek at their whirlwind romance and its hilarious ending once Carpenter’s fans first spot Pringleleo in public.
If you’re anything like us, you might wonder what goes into making a character like Pringleleo. (And yes, he’s made of real Pringles!) PopIcon spoke to Mauricio Jenkins, Pringles U.S. Marketing Lead, Mars Snacking, about the Game Day ad, to find out how many Pringles it takes to make Pringleleo, why Pringles was “a match made in heaven” collaborating with Carpenter, and the “wizardry” needed to pull off that fan tackle scene. And because this is a brand mascot blog, we even got in a question about the Pringles mascot, Mr. P.
For Super Bowl LX, the Pringles Game Day commercial hinges on the concept of a soulmate made entirely out of crisps. Was this an idea that had been waiting in the wings for a while?
This year’s idea is a fresh take on our existing, new creative direction “Once You Pop, The Pop Don’t Stop,” this time rooted in the Pringles stacking that led to an unconventional love story between Sabrina Carpenter (who else!) and her delicious snack of a soulmate, Pringleleo. It ended up being a perfect melding of our distinct brand assets and the insanely good timing and hilarious tone and star power Carpenter brings.
Where did the name Pringleleo come from?
Pringleleo was born from the delicious, unmistakable Pringles distinct brand assets. His name is a playful nod to the brand, capturing both his origins and that instant “ooooohhh” moment he sparks the second he appears on-screen. He is his own irresistible entity, the ultimate soulmate snack for all of us!
Let’s talk the overall mechanics of building Pringleleo. Exactly how many original Pringles (ballpark) were used to construct him?
Pringleleo is a Pringles-inspired creation, crafted mostly from approximately 1,000 real Pringles crisps, with some structural support added to help him hold it all together and give him a sturdy set of shoulders.
What holds the character together? How were you able to keep Pringleleo from collapsing into a pile of crumbs?
Pringleleo was built with a bit of art and science, using a variety of techniques.
Without revealing too much about the magic of his fabrication, we had structural support that gave him a sturdy set of shoulders, and other elements mixed in to keep him together, but overarchingly those ~1,000 real, physical crisps make up the man.
We see Pringleleo enjoying traditional date night moments with Carpenter and in many fun positions, from spoon feeding dessert to driving down the street. Which of these was the hardest to put together and film?
Each vignette was fun to dream up and bring to life, with its own challenges, of course. Getting half of Pringleleo’s body to fly away with the kite in the extended cut took the most amount of work to visually capture that scene.
The tackle shot at the end required some creative problem solving. For comedy, we wanted that to be an NFL-style spear tackle, and Pringleleo’s body wasn’t best suited to survive those. So, we had to work some wizardry to pull that shot off properly. Both logistically, but also how it looked on camera.
We essentially created a Pringleleo body double. (Yes, even he has one of those). This double helped achieve the desired look, while keeping him safe for the final spectacular stunt which was done in only one take. (Pringleleo wants it on the record that he performed all his other stunts.) We’re so happy with how all the scenes turned out – Pringleleo’s a natural.
What was the funniest moment the team experienced when shooting this ad?
There were so many funny moments during each scene with the nature of the ad being so humorous. I think the funniest moment for the whole crew was watching Sabrina interact with Pringleleo for the first time and her laughing along with how unhinged the concept is was the funniest thing for the whole crew. I also like the kiss cam scene, seeing Pringleleo’s head falling off and her picking it up for the picture was amazing.
Speaking of Carpenter, she’s playfully perfect in her celebrity cameo. How did Pringles approach her to be in the commercial?
We knew Sabrina was a genuine Pringles fan and that she was the perfect partner to take on the leading role in the brand’s new Big Game story, so it was a fun pitch to her that was received well from the start because it already lined up well with her personal brand. A match made in flavor heaven!
I do want to briefly mention the funny way Mr. P has been subtly nudging audiences into giving in to their most intrusive Pringles thoughts. Do you ever think we’ll get a Super Bowl commercial where Mr. P plays a major role as a mascot?
You never know where and when Mr. P might pop up! The role Mr. P has played in this creative and past has been very strategic since he is such a well-known and loved character in our fanbase. You’ll have to stay tuned to see how else he might show up.
What else can we expect from Pringles this year?
As the tagline says, “Once You Pop, the Pop Don’t Stop.” More unexpected fun is coming from us this year! Keep an eye on @Pringles on all your favorite social media platforms to keep up with the latest news and drops.
Image Credits: Pringles
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
