The global snack leader unveils a brand refresh and ingredient overhaul that celebrates its agricultural roots and responds to growing consumer demand for authenticity and transparency.
Lay’s, the iconic global potato chip brand owned by PepsiCo, today unveiled what it calls the most significant redesign in its nearly 90-year history. The new look and product direction place stronger emphasis on the humble potato itself, aligning with consumer demand for ingredient transparency, cleaner labels, and authentic farm-to-table storytelling.
A fresh visual identity rooted in simplicity
The redesign introduces a modernized logo, refreshed color palette, and packaging visuals inspired directly by ingredients. The sun element in the Lay’s logo has been softened into warmer tones, with more distinct rays radiating from its center to evoke both growth and light. Designers drew on color cues from the brand’s flavor portfolio — pickle green, hickory brown, and savory red — to create a system that reflects real ingredients and natural inspiration. The brand’s familiar red ribbon remains as a nod to Lay’s longstanding heritage.
PepsiCo describes this as more than a visual refresh. It is part of a broader effort to strengthen Lay’s connection with its agricultural roots and with the consumers who increasingly seek authenticity in the foods they buy. The company noted that while more than 4,000 potato varieties exist worldwide, only about ten meet the stringent quality standards for Lay’s chips. Each of these varieties undergoes nearly a decade of research and selection to ensure the right balance of flavor, color, and texture before entering production.
Ingredient changes signal a cleaner direction
Alongside its new identity, Lay’s has announced plans to remove all artificial flavors and artificial colors from its core U.S. product lines by the end of 2025. The reformulation effort will extend to Lay’s white dips in early 2026. The company says these steps are intended to modernize the product portfolio while retaining the taste and crunch that define the brand.
Lay’s Baked and Kettle Cooked lines are also receiving notable updates. The new Lay’s Baked variety will use olive oil and contain 50 percent less fat than regular Lay’s chips, while a reformulated Lay’s Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat Original Sea Salt will use avocado oil, offering 40 percent less fat. These moves mark a visible shift toward what PepsiCo characterizes as “ingredient integrity” across its snack brands.
From field to bag – the potato story comes forward
The company is making the potato itself the centerpiece of the brand narrative. Lay’s works with more than 100 family-owned farms across North America and sources potatoes and other ingredients from growers in over 60 countries worldwide. During harvest season, potatoes can reportedly move from field to bag in as few as 48 hours, thanks to a closely coordinated network of farms and processing facilities.
The renewed emphasis on farm partnerships and the growing process aims to reconnect consumers with the origins of the product. PepsiCo’s research suggests that nearly half of Lay’s consumers do not realize the chips are made from real, farm-grown potatoes. Through the redesign and accompanying campaigns, the company hopes to close that perception gap and bring the farming story to the forefront of its marketing.
Beyond aesthetics – strategic implications
The redesign follows a wave of broader efforts by PepsiCo to align its snack brands with health and sustainability trends. Earlier in 2025, the company’s “Little Farmer” Super Bowl advertisement highlighted the people and families behind Lay’s potato supply chain, offering a human glimpse into modern potato farming.
By positioning the potato as a hero ingredient, Lay’s is betting that authenticity and simplicity will continue to resonate with consumers who value both flavor and origin. The changes also set the stage for further product innovation across PepsiCo’s portfolio through 2026, signaling a company-wide commitment to modernizing its legacy brands without losing their core identity.
What it means for the industry
For the wider potato and snack sectors, Lay’s renewed focus on variety selection, traceability, and cleaner processing could have ripple effects across the supply chain. Ingredient sourcing, transport logistics, and the coordination needed to maintain a 48-hour “farm-to-bag” model may push industry peers to review their own practices.
At the same time, the removal of artificial ingredients represents a technical challenge in maintaining the flavor consistency that consumers expect from the brand. Balancing cost efficiency, taste, and sustainability will remain key as PepsiCo rolls out its changes across markets.
Still, the company appears confident that its new direction will strengthen both consumer trust and long-term brand value — with the potato, quite literally, at the heart of it all.
Source: PepsiCo press release, October 9, 2025 – “From Potato to Chip: The Next Chapter of Lay’s.”
Image: Credit PepsiCo | Lay’s