Brandweek will feature live discussions with marketing pros at Dakota Media, Converse, UPS and more. Meet us in Miami Sept. 11–14 to boost your business and elevate your brand.
Pringles has made an untold number of ravenous snackers feel seen with its Super Bowl ads that depict people getting their hands stuck in its cylindrical cans.
Since 2022, the brand has poked fun at the predicament caused by its biggest design flaw. As seen in its latest Super Bowl commercial, even singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor can’t resist the trap of the canned chips.
It turns out this snacking situation is globally relatable, too. Pringles’ new campaign illustrates the “Can Hands” phenomenon in quintessentially European scenarios, from an Apéro to a German house party.
The first ad—made for France, Spain, Portugal and Italy—takes place during Apéro, the period before dinner when people enjoy an aperitif and snacks. As a hostess prepares a spread of charcuterie and Pringles, she unwittingly gets her hand stuck down the tube.
But why should that ruin the evening? Thinking on her feet, the hostess uses her “can hand” to stir a pitcher of cocktails, break up an ice block, serve canapes and even curl a guest’s hair.
Another spot, which will run in Northern European markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, takes place at a house party where a young man experiences “can hand” next to the dance floor. Embarrassed, he escapes to a quiet room–but finds he’s not the only one in this awkward situation.
A final ad for the U.K. and Ireland is a remake of Pringles’ 2022 Super Bowl spot, from agency Grey New York, in which a young man at a party makes his unexpected “can hand” part of the fun.
Grey London created the new ads, while lauded commercial director Ulf Johansson directed them through production company Smith & Jones.
Facing the challenge of adapting a hit for other countries, Pringles decided “to showcase [the concept] in intrinsically European settings,” according to Dave Wigglesworth, executive creative director at Grey London.