As sports fans mull the travel logistics and cost considerations of attending the FIFA World Cup, Lay’s is focused on hosting an unforgettable watch party at home. The snacks marketer on Tuesday revealed the next leg of its “No Lay’s, No Game” platform with a star-studded campaign designed to appeal to both soccer die-hards and casual consumers. This is Lay’s first time serving as a global sponsor of the World Cup, which resulted in a more ambitious game plan that also features a WhatsApp group chat custom built for the PepsiCo brand. 

“We’ve taken it to another level,” said Alexis Porter, vice president of marketing for international foods at Lay’s. 

New ads show past “No Lay’s, No Game” partners, including David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas, as they’re joined by actor Steve Carell to hand out invites to a blockbuster hangout. For the months-in-the-making stunt, the celebrities posted up in the parking lot of a real supermarket in southern Florida and flagged down shoppers to see if their grocery bags had Lay’s products inside. Those who had purchased the chip brand received access to the watch party, with authentic moments of interaction and excitement captured in the creative. 

Agencies Slap Global, Hungry Man, Washington Square Films, Omnicom Public Relations and We Are Social are behind the work. The larger “No Lay’s, No Game” platform is running in 90 global markets across digital, social and broadcast channels. Lay’s is plotting in-stadium experiences, localized fan gatherings and limited-time flavors to capitalize on the World Cup buzz.  

“It’s a cultural moment, and so we want to make sure we’re not a brand that’s just going to put our logo on it,” said Porter. 

Carell, who adds a pop of humor to the ads via impromptu karaoke, was brought on to make the soccer-focused marketing more approachable, according to Porter. The sport’s popularity in recent years has soared in the U.S., which is among the 2026 World Cup’s North American host countries, but still lags a rabid global fandom where top athletes are treated as royalty.  

“It’s for everyone, so we wanted to make sure that we weren’t just using footballers, that we were including somebody that represents every fan — somebody who’s there for the snacks and the good time,” said Porter.

Staying connected

To drive deeper consumer connection, Lay’s also established a WhatsApp group chat that has amassed more than 4 million followers since debuting in March. Lay’s first major WhatsApp activation ticks a few boxes: WhatsApp is a key messaging app for keeping global consumers connected and also serves as a practical channel for the party planning on which “No Lay’s, No Game” is anchored. 

Celebrity ambassadors on the campaign post in the chat — Porter promises the messages aren’t artificial intelligence — stoking fan reactions, back-and-forth banter and memes. The group chat also acts as a hub for Lay’s content like recipe ideas and games.

“[WhatsApp] had to build a new product for us to be able to create that new storytelling where you had a front row seat to what this famous friend group was talking about as they were planning,” said Porter.

The chance to engage with superstars like Messi meant that Lay’s also had to take safety considerations into account. While followers can react to and share messages from the “No Lay’s, No Game” roster, they do not have “free reign to write whatever,” the executive explained. The approach, which Porter calls “scaled intimacy,” will provide insights that Lay’s hopes to employ for future marketing as messaging apps become a bigger driver of social strategy. 

“We’re gonna see where we get the interaction and where we build and grow from it. This will inform other things we do on the brand, not just related [to] football, but the overarching brand,” said Porter. “I think by having that information, that first-party data, it’s going to be helpful to be able to deliver those better-curated experiences for consumers.”