Written by Leanna Westerhof. Media by Kayla Morton.
Lay’s Potato Chips are once again rolling out the new flavors and in order to hype it up on media, they have arranged for classic flavors to go head-to-head with new flavors. Consumers will vote on the flavors and the winners will stay on the shelves and the losers will go. These four new flavors hit shelves in February and voting went through March 21 with the winners yet to be announced. The new flavors include:
Smoked Gouda & Chive vs Cheddar and Sour Cream
Korean Barbecue vs. Honey Barbeque
Fiery Roasted Habanero vs. Famin’ Hot
Kettle Cooked Olive Oil & Herbs vs. Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
There is still time to go out and try these new flavors before they get pulled off shelves! Yet, is this what our lives have come to? Lay’s is pulling out all the stops to get people interested in buying their products. Our attention span is so short nowadays that to keep people interested they have to spice it up once in a while by having some flashy competition where they give out money if you vote for these new flavors. They are bribing us to vote. Our lives are dominated by news and advertisements for “bigger” and “better” things. Each company claims their product is better than ever or more delicious or longer lasting. Where do we draw the line? Where does the company draw the line? We all know that one potato chip is never enough, you eat one and then before you know it you have eaten 20 or more…or maybe the entire bag. They are salty, delicious, addicting and not healthy for you. We eat potato chips and then we feel guilty for eating too many.
Why is all the food we see advertised on television and Facebook unhealthy for you? There is a common belief or saying, “if it tastes good, it probably means it is unhealthy for you.” I refuse to believe this! There are plenty of healthy things that taste wonderful, it just so happens that potato chips also taste wonderful. I would love to see healthy foods advertised more and not all of these fast food restaurants or chip companies advertising their products. Especially when half of the bag is air. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that I myself don’t eat potato chips or other unhealthy things, but I am saying that what I put in my body matters to me. There is another saying, “healthy body, healthy mind,” or “you are what you eat” (couch potato come to mind?) And I want to start the process of eating healthy now in college to start forming healthier habits before I enter the real world and have to start adulting for the first time in my life.
Even though voting is over for the “flavor swap” we would love to know your thoughts on this new advertising trap from Lay’s and which flavor you would like to see on the shelves? Let us know in the comments below!
