Finally, Lay's become local

I don't care how you slice it (haha) an enormous conglomerate like Frito-Lay (part of an even bigger conglomerate called Pepsi-co)cannot pretend they make "local" food. Isn't there some law against that? There should be.

What I'm talking about is Frito-Lay's newest marketing campaign that attempts to brand their Lays potato chips as "local." Lay's says they will "put a spotlight on potato farmers from California, Florida, Maine, Michigan and Texas that grow potatoes used in Lay’s Potato Chips as the faces for the iconic brand in :30 national and regional television spots that play a central role to the initiative."

In other words -- since we have thousands of farmers across the US, one of them must be close to you, despite the fact that those potatoes are probably shipped across the country to be processed, somewhere else to be packaged, then shipped to a distributor before your "local" potato chips finally reach you again. Does anyone actually fall for this garbage?

And don't forget the fact that I suspect (maybe someone can confirm this) Lay's uses GMO or GEO products which are not exactly in line with what most people are looking for when they decide to buy local.

But what these big companies are great at? PR. Check it out: “While Lay’s Potato Chips have been one of the most popular snacks since they were introduced, what people might not realize is how many communities across the country play a role in the creation of America’s favorite potato chip,” said Dave Skena, vice president of potato chip marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “The truth is we are closer to home than people might expect and we felt it was only fitting to put the spotlight on these people and communities and celebrate the contributions they’ve made to the Lay’s brand.”

And finally: "The campaign highlights the simplicity of Lay's Classic Potato Chips in a day and age where consumers are looking to keep things less complex." Really? Gag.