Pringles is All Over Thanksgiving: Roasted Turkey Crisp, Anyone?
Roasted. Turkey. Pringles. We’re going there, huh?
OK, so if I’m writing about it, it’s because it got my attention. This is another one that I just find fun and clever.
Pringles made lots of noise earlier this month when it announced the Thanksgiving Friendsgiving Feast kit. The limited time package built on the last two years of similar promotions and offered previously-released mind-bending flavors like cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. This time, though, the maniacal marketers brought a humble ode to the meat masterpiece known as Turducken to the proverbial table.
The Turducken joined the party in the form of three distinctly-flavored crisps (one turkey, one duck and one chicken) meant to be “stacked” and enjoyed together (of course).. Originally available at the Kelloggstore.com for a limited time, the $15.99 kits quickly disappeared from “stock” (although, today, you can find budding Internet entrepreneurs trying to hawk them for as much as $79.99)
Photo: Kelloggs/Pringles
The packaging was cute. It drove news. Fun for a laugh. But, TBH, all I could really think about once I heard “Turducken” was John Madden. And, did I really need to spend $16 on a five flavors of Pringles that made me mildly nauseous just thinking about them?
[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEJD29Xh1d0&w=854&h=480]
Fast forward another week or so, and the crazy Pringles crew is at it again. Well, maybe not so crazy. They’ve followed up their Friendsgiving Kit with news that the Roasted Turkey-flavored Pringles will now be available nationwide. Once again, they did a nice job wrapping up the new flavor with some clever PR. The new Roasted Turkey Pringles are positioned as Thanksgiving “insurance,” in the oft case you flunk the annual bird bake (which, according to the folks answering phones at Butterball for the better part of a few decades, is a not infrequent occurrence).
Photo: PR Newswire
So, how does it all “work?” The scoop directly from the Kelloggs press room.
We all know that nothing is a bigger let down than when you're anticipating a delicious, home-cooked turkey on Thanksgiving and the bird gets ruined. Timed to new Pringles Roasted Turkey crisps hitting shelves coast to coast, the brand is also offering Turkey Insurance that pays out in Pringles Roasted Turkey crisps to prepare for potential turkey disasters.
Beginning at noon Eastern on Wednesday, November 27, Pringles fans living in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles can Tweet out their past or present horror stories using #Pringles #TurkeyInsuranceEntry for a chance to get a delivery from Pringles. Five lucky fans will also receive a beautiful, golden-roasted prop turkey to complete the Thanksgiving buffet and ensure a perfectly Instagrammable tablescape.
"We said to ourselves, 'If we've managed to capture perfect, fresh-out-of-the-oven Roasted Turkey flavor in a Pringles crisp, and we don't use it to save people from their nasty-out-of-the-oven turkey fails, then who are we?'" said Gareth Maguire, Senior Director of Marketing for Pringles.
OK, there’s not a ton of there, there…which is exactly why I like it. Cheap, clever and, potentially, business-driving. Maybe you don’t go and buy the Roasted Turkey variety, but it could certainly remind you that having a few snacks around for a long Thanksgiving with family and friends ain’t such a bad idea. Perhaps, throw a few cans of Pringles in the ‘ole cart?
I also love how Kelloggs completely embraces the tongue-in-cheek, this-all-sounds-so-corporate press release writing style. It screams: “Hey, this is fun. We’re Pringles. Stop being so serious, and try some damn Roasted Turkey Crisps.”
Heck, it’s got me wondering if a Target run just to satisfy my sick curiosity is worth it. C’mon now, they’re $1.59. What is there to lose????
Is there a review in the future? Stay tuned.