Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Frito-Lay ruins 'Cracker Jack' by ditching "prizes" for something far, far lamer


From metv, It's not a trip to the ball game without a bag of Cracker Jack and the ever-important prize inside. Opening the bag as a kid was like finding out what you won on a scratch-off lottery ticket. Would it be a keychain, or maybe a little toy?

Sadly, all good things must come to an end at some point. Last week, Frito-Lay announced it's getting rid of the physical prize found inside every box of Cracker Jack and replacing it with a virtual "Prize Inside" that consumers can access on their smartphones.

"The new Prize Inside allows families to enjoy their favorite baseball moments through a new one-of-a-kind mobile experience, leveraging digital technology to bring the iconic Prize Inside to life," said Frito-Lay's senior marketing director Haston Lewis.

To access the prize, families have to download the Blippar app, scan the code found inside the packaging, and choose from one of four baseball-themed experiences.

That's not the only thing about Cracker Jack that's changing this year. The company also announced it's redesigning the logo and packaging. The new look will debut in stores this month to coincide with the first couple months of the baseball season.

"We are a brand that authentically reminds people of simpler times, childhood memories and family experiences," said Lewis.

With the brand removing the physical prize inside and replacing it with a mobile app experience, we're not sure that statement holds as much truth as it used to. What do you guys think?

2 comments:

Octopunk said...

I think that's some of the most stereotypical bad marketing crap I've ever heard. But also I've always thought that Cracker Jacks taste like ass, and those prizes routinely suck. So whatever.

DKC said...

Lol, Octo. I like Cracker Jack but I think this idea suuuuuuucks.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...