Football fans share Lay's with David Beckham and Thierry Henry at UEFA 2024

On February 22, 2024, potato chip brand Lay’s, the official snack partner of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2024, introduced its global campaign No Lay’s, No Game, offering unexpected rewards for football fans indulging in chips on game day.

Ahead of the UEFA Champions League in late June 2024, Lay’s debuted a TV commercial featuring former football players David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The ad was shot in under five minutes during a live match between AC Milan and PSG at Milan’s San Siro stadium.

The spot opened with the scene before kick-off where Beckham discovered that Henry had eaten all of his Lay’s chips. The brand invited them to ask, “Do you have Lay’s?” to a crowd of 75,000 cheering fans.

Beckham and Henry's mission was to reward individuals spotted with Lay’s chip packets through a segment called ‘Chip Cam’, a twist on the traditional ‘Kiss Cam’. The duo surprised a lucky father-daughter pair with Lay’s, elevating their game-day experience with an exclusive invitation to watch alongside them (Beckham and Henry).

“We had a great day filming at the San Siro stadium for No Lay’s, No Game. Whenever Thierry and I get together, it’s always a lot of fun and it was fantastic being able to surprise 75,000 fans,” Beckham said in a statement.

The team also released a three-minute BTS video of the advertisement showing how Lay’s, Thierry Henry, and David Beckham pulled off this ambitious stunt.

The campaign is not limited to stadium attendees. Lay’s has also introduced the Lay’s Detector, utilising Meta technology to offer a digital experience rewarding fans with prizes, exclusive content, and UCL Men’s Finals tickets at Wembley Stadium in London. Fans only need to confirm that they have Lay’s chips by scanning the QR code on the company’s social channels or the commercial.

“We’ve heard from soccer fans from all over the world and they tell us the same thing: whether watching with a group of friends or at home solo, the experience is always better when sharing a bag of Lay’s. This year, No Lay’s, No Game is giving fans even more reasons to have Lay’s in hand,” said Ciara Dilley, vice-president of marketing, global foods group at PepsiCo.

The campaign was created in collaboration with Slap Global and directed by renowned commercial and television director Andrew Lane. The advertisement is set to be broadcast during the UCL tournament and will progressively launch worldwide ahead of the Women’s and Men’s Finals.

This marks Beckham's second brand collaboration for a campaign. Previously, he appeared in Uber Eats' Super Bowl ad alongside his wife, pop star Victoria Beckham, and other notable celebrities.

The No Lay’s No Game campaign also includes renowned Argentine footballer Lionel Messi. The advertisement, titled Messi Visits, was unveiled in March 2023. In the commercial, Messi surprises fans at a UEFA Champions League party, but the mood shifts when he inquires about Lay’s chips.

During the Cricket World Cup in 2023, Lay's launched the No Lay's No Game campaign for the Indian audience, starring former cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He visits households to verify if fans have Lay’s available while they savour every exciting moment of the game.