Judging by some of the latest designs from smaller companies, it appears that Lay's are allowed to design for the whole Chips & Crisps industry. As seen with so many, there is a large logo, a photographic image of a few Chips, the style of cut in big letters, plus the flavoring or seasoning - In this case, a pot of au gratin Chips. The advantage Lay's have over their rivals is of course the most recognisable brand on the market. Even their overseas companies have the same logo, but with their brand name on the red banner. Lay's could actually have a plain, flavor color coded bag with the name of the flavor and their logo, and sell no fewer bags of Chips. However, this is far from innovative packaging. It is actually as basic as it can be while still remaining modern and evocative. Fortunately, not all smaller companies take Lay's lead. It is therefore to them, that we have to look for exciting and interesting bag designs.
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Crunch
Lay's Wavy Ridged Chips were thick enough to sustain the effect without major breakages, and they also helped provide a firm crunch. Not a crispy crunch, but a rigid and snappy, solid crunch.
Texture
The Ripples were particularly average in their machine cut medium width and depth. Although thicker than the average regular Chip, these were somewhat thin, but certainly thick enough to sustain the Ridged effect without many breakages. The texture was added to with some darker seasoning. There was not a significant grease profile which meant more coloring and powder on the Chips than on the fingers.
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Taste
The phrase 'au gratin' refers to a recipe that is baked with a topping of seasoned breadcrumbs and cheese. These Chips were cheesy flavored. We really would like to be a bit more specific, but to our untrained palates it tasted like another Cheddar variety of Chip. It was nice, but not nearly as fancy as its name.