In effort to spread awareness about energy concerns in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, Hornet director Yves Geleyn teamed up with agency MacLAREN McCANN to tell the charming story of how a local man and his dog discovered a way to conserve electricity.
The animated 90-second video is titled “Cranks & Gulps.”
Client New Brunswick Power Agency MacLAREN McCANN, Toronto Sean Davison, creative director; Marc Melanson, group creative director/art director; Scott McKay, writer; Jacqueline Bellmore, producer. Production Hornet Inc. Yves Geleyn, director; Jan Stebbins, exec producer; Desiree Stavracos, producer; Tony Maki, storyboard artist; Anita Chao, editor; Mark Pecoraro, lead animator; Oren Haskins, lead designer; Sylvia Apostol, lead CG, lead compositor, texturer, modeler, rigger, lighting & rendering, camera, pre-viz, CG layout artist; Lindsey Mayer-Beug, designer; Peter Fink, Stephanie Andreou, Ted Wiggin, John Harrison, compositors. Music/Sound Design Grayson Matthews
Fresh off Lay’s 2025 beloved Super Bowl spot, “The Little Farmer,” and a global brand refresh, comes a brand-new commercial airing in the first half of the big game on Feb. 8.
Titled “Last Harvest,” the new emotionally driven ad follows a father-daughter potato farming duo as they pass down generations of potato harvesting knowledge, showcasing a true legacy in the agriculture community. Academy Award winner (Jojo Rabbit) Taika Waititi directed “Last Harvest” via production house Hungry Man for agencies Highdive and Frito-Lay in-house shop D3. Waititi brought his signature storytelling style to this year’s Lay’s ad, just as he did with “The Little Farmer.”
Set against a moving rendition of “Somewhere Only We Know” (originally recorded by English rock band Keane), “Last Harvest” weaves through heartfelt flashbacks, shining a light on the family-owned farms behind many of Lay’s potato chips.
“Last Harvest” was inspired by Neumiller Farms in Illinois, a family farm that Lay’s parent PepsiCo has worked with for decades. It’s a third-generation potato and vegetable farm now run by father and daughter team Tom Neumiller and Katie Floming, who grow 3,500 acres of potatoes annually. Their farm plays a vital role in the Lay’s story, with Tom now guiding Katie as she prepares to lead the farm’s next chapter.
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