Pringles is appealing to gamers once again, but this time it’s aiming further back, way beyond the metaverse or even the internet, to the original generation that discovered gaming.

Back the in the '80s, players shared computer games using the sound of binary code loaded onto the ZX Spectrum. So, in a campaign to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ZX Spectrum on April 23, the snack brand is sharing a Pringles chip using the sound of binary code. 

Earlier this month, the 8-bit depiction of a potato chip created in binary code sound was sent out to the world in a teaser film, appealing to those who remember that era of gaming, but mystifying for anyone who doesn’t. Those who recognized it downloaded the sound to play to their ZX Spectrum. When they did, not only did they find the depiction of the Pringlesonic Chip, but also details of a competition to win a one-off 8-bit can of Pringlesonic Original Computer Chips.

The campaign, by Grey London, was designed to appeal not only to fans of retro gaming but to newer gamers who want to see what all the fuss is about; additional social content about the brand's history with gamers targets this audience. It continues the brand’s gaming-themed work, which has included the award-winning “Frank” stunt that took a zombie out of a real video game on a live Twitch stream and put him in commercials.

It also develops Pringles’ “Mind Popping” global positioning which highlights how the Pringles shape was apparently conceived by engineers as a way of making a potato chip that was less likely to break before reaching consumers. The brand now additionally wants to emphasize how it’s the ideal snack for gamers, as not only are the chips less messy, but they’re also less greasy on the fingers.

“Pringles continues to be the go-to snack for gamers and we’re really excited to take that to the next level,” said Aisling O’Hara, Pringles Europe marketing manager, in a statement. “When talking to consumers during campaign development, they told us how the Pringles chip is like no other, how the less mess snack helps them stay in the game which formed the basis of our ‘Stay in the Game’ creative idea. We’re looking forward to having a lot of fun with this campaign under our new brand platform 'Mind Popping.'” 

“It’s been said that without the ZX Spectrum, computer gaming would never have taken off in the way it has, so it makes sense for the go-to gaming snack  Pringles to pay tribute to its ability to stay in the game, even as it turns 40, with this ingenuity of Pringles, mind popping 8-bit of genius,” added Laura Jordan Bambach, president and chief creative officer at Grey London.