Potato Chips & Crisps Commercials - 1980s

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What a happy clappy world the decade of the 1980s was going to be. The Jocks approach the nerd, and Gerald, the class chess champ, is given a Ruffles taste test. How on earth did this commercial not end with a wedgie?

 
The Smiths Crisps slogan said that every potato wanted to be one, but while this commercial was amusing, musical and memorable, it also had some small children screaming at the scary big eyed potatoes.
Walkers also took the comedy musical approach in this 1980 advertisement. It featured famous people and a catchy slogan and worked very well at increasing brand awareness at the outset of the company’s gradual takeover of the British Crisps industry.
The next step of Walkers climb to domination was to employ football legend Gary Lineker to promote their Crisps. Nearly three decades later, Lineker is still advertising Walkers Crisps, the takeover is complete, and the now former footballer is widely credited as having a major influence on their success. He has also earned millions of pounds for his work.
Tato Skins took it a little step further than the UK approach. Their musical interlude was jingle based. Very clever. And you have to love the Milky Bar Kid’s little sister. They even add a little cartoon suggesting that elves make their Chips. Now, I wonder which age group they are aiming this one to...
Lay’s went for this approach - Aah, look at those lovely little kids, singing their song. 
The watching audience approach - Quick, turn the TV over!
The Keebler Elves are back again with this musical number advertising O’Boises Chips. As with the advertisement above, the commercial is pretty annoying, but it does the trick of advertising a peculiarly named snack food product.
This 1982 Hostess Chips commercial also employed the use of cartoon characters. This time the ‘Munchies’ are portrayed as colourful little monsters. Those of us that have sat in overlong meetings, fidgeting in our seats to try to hide their rumbling noises, do not consider them so loveable.
Doritos were aiming their Chips at an age group somewhat older. No need for elves here. We’re straight into High School. You watch it, thinking you know exactly what is going to happen... All those people taking his Doritos while he is yammering away... He is going to run out before he puts his hand in the bag... 
He even drops the bag out of shot momentarily so that the bag returns completely empty... But then the commercial ends with him taking a chip out of an empty bag. Strange script writing.
Australian company Snack Chips were going for an even older audience. It all seems rather wholesome and maybe even a little sad. Early 1980s Australian life looked a lot like it was stereotyping 1960s America.
This O’Grady’s commercial from 1984 promotes a similarly wholesome, old American way of life and the selling point of their Chips. They are thickly cut. If the potato the guy slices really was this thick you would never get your teeth through them!
In the same year, Laura Scudder’s were telling us their Chips were just “Too good.” This time a rather annoying man was sitting in a cosy armchair looking like he was having some sort of fit.