Eternal Snacking: Pringles Embraces Macabre Marketing with “Once You Drop” Campaign

In an era where brand identity is increasingly defined by viral, absurdist, and “unhinged” marketing strategies, Pringles has officially crossed the threshold from clever snack-time companion to permanent life-long partner—quite literally. This October, the iconic potato chip brand, known for its hyperbolic “Once You Pop, the Fun Don’t Stop” slogan, is pivoting to a significantly darker narrative: “Once You Drop.”

In a move that has sent shockwaves through social media and marketing circles alike, Pringles is launching a contest that offers one die-hard fan the ultimate, albeit morbid, prize: a custom-made, metal alloy burial urn designed to resemble their iconic, cylindrical chip can.

The Main Facts: A Final Resting Place for the Superfan

The campaign, which officially launched this week, is designed to tap into the darker, more cynical humor favored by Gen Z audiences. While most brands leverage Halloween for candy-coated, family-friendly marketing, Pringles is opting for a gothic aesthetic. The centerpiece of the campaign is the "Last Will and Taste-Ament," an online pledge where participants commit to being laid to rest in the brand’s proprietary vessel.

The prize package is as substantial as it is surreal. The winner will receive a custom-crafted, durable metal alloy urn engineered to mimic the dimensions and aesthetic of a Pringles can. To ensure the winner’s legacy is truly “salty,” the package also includes a 200-year supply of Pringles.

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States, with the entry window running from October 13 at 9:00 a.m. ET through October 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The winner is set to be announced in the days leading up to Halloween.

A Chronology of “Unhinged” Brand Evolution

To understand the gravity of the “Once You Drop” campaign, one must look at the recent trajectory of Pringles’ creative marketing. The brand has been on a deliberate path to disrupt traditional advertising, moving away from standard product-shot commercials toward high-concept, narrative-driven content.

• Early 2025: The “Duck King” Era: Pringles kicked off the year by leaning heavily into the “unhinged” aesthetic with the “Duck King” campaign, a surrealist odyssey that challenged viewer expectations of what a snack commercial could be.
• March 2026: The Sabrina Carpenter Connection: The brand solidified its pop-culture dominance during the Super Bowl, featuring Sabrina Carpenter. The spot focused on a “chip-made love interest,” a campaign that proved the brand’s ability to weave itself into the fabric of modern celebrity culture.
• October 2026: The “Once You Drop” Launch: The current campaign represents the culmination of this strategy. By hiring an actual funeral director—TikTok personality “Dan the Funeral Man”—the brand has successfully bridged the gap between social media influencer marketing and traditional brand storytelling.

Supporting Data: The Anatomy of the Urn

The development of the urn was not a trivial design task. According to Dan Kelly, executive creative director at BBDO New York, the object had to balance the delicate line between brand parody and functional utility.

“The urn is crafted from a premium metal alloy,” Kelly noted in a press statement. “It was essential that we balance the unmistakable look and feel of the Pringles can with the durability and solemnity required for its intended, long-term purpose. It is a piece of design that honors the brand’s history while serving as a legitimate vessel.”

The historical justification for this move—which the brand mentions in its promotional material—is the true story of Fredric J. Baur, the chemist and food storage technician who invented the Pringles can. Baur was so proud of his invention that he requested to be buried in one. Upon his death in 2008, his children honored his request, placing a portion of his cremated remains inside a can of Original Pringles. This macabre piece of corporate trivia provides the “authenticity” that the brand’s creative agencies, BBDO New York and Weber Shandwick, were keen to leverage.

Official Responses and Creative Philosophy

The collaboration between the creative agencies and the brand was centered on the concept of “authenticity within absurdity.”

Allyson Hoar, executive creative director at Weber Shandwick, emphasized the role of Dan the Funeral Man in legitimizing the campaign. “It was important for us to bring in someone who understands the industry from the inside,” Hoar stated. “Dan isn’t just an actor; he’s a professional who deals with the realities of end-of-life care every day. His involvement brings a unique, dark humor that makes the premise feel grounded rather than purely gimmicky.”

From the brand’s perspective, the decision to go “dark” is a strategic move to capture a younger demographic that consumes content through the lens of irony. Mauricio Jenkins, the salty snacks brand and content lead at Mars Snacking North America, articulated this vision:

“We are leaning into Halloween’s inherent dark humor and Gen Z’s taste for absurdist storytelling. We aren’t just selling chips; we are becoming part of a consumer’s permanent identity. By turning the Pringles can into a legacy item, we are rewarding our ultimate fans in the most lasting way imaginable.”

Implications: The Future of Brand Consumerism

The “Once You Drop” campaign carries several significant implications for the future of the advertising industry.

1. The Death of the “Soft Sell”

Marketing has moved firmly into the era of the “Hard Identity.” Brands no longer want to be a product in your pantry; they want to be a personality trait. By creating an item that functions as both a marketing stunt and a memorial, Pringles is forcing a level of brand loyalty that is, by definition, eternal.

2. The Normalization of the “Unhinged”

Pringles has proven that brands can successfully navigate controversial or morbid themes provided they lean into the absurdity with enough self-awareness. By using a real funeral director to bridge the gap, they mitigate the potential for public backlash regarding “tastelessness.” The campaign serves as a case study for how legacy brands can rejuvenate their image by shedding the constraints of corporate polish.

3. The Gamification of Mortality

The “Last Will and Taste-Ament” is a masterclass in digital engagement. By requiring users to sign a “will” to enter the contest, Pringles is essentially asking the consumer to perform a high-engagement ritual. This creates a psychological tether between the consumer and the brand that goes far deeper than a simple sweepstakes entry or email sign-up.

4. The “Gen Z” Filter

The success of this campaign will likely be measured not just in social media impressions, but in how effectively it creates a “cult of personality” around the brand. If this campaign hits its marks, we may see a surge in “limited edition” or “extreme” brand items that lean into the darker, more personal aspects of life, shifting the focus from product utility to life-cycle companionship.

Conclusion

As the October 22 deadline approaches, the “Once You Drop” campaign stands as a testament to the creative risks brands are willing to take to remain relevant in a fractured media landscape. It is a bold, bizarre, and undeniably effective piece of marketing that turns a simple stack of potato chips into a permanent monument.

Whether or not one finds the prospect of being buried in a chip can palatable is almost beside the point. Pringles has achieved the impossible: they have dominated the news cycle, secured a place in the cultural conversation, and ensured that for at least one person, the “pop” will truly never stop. In the grand, and perhaps slightly absurd, history of advertising, the “Once You Drop” campaign will likely be remembered as the moment a snack brand decided that the only thing better than being a part of your lunch was being a part of your legacy.