Anna Kendrick Belts Out a Very Frito-Lay Version of 'My Favorite Things' for Christmas

Happy branded holidays from Anna Kendrick and the snacksters at Frito-Lay! 

The actress, currently appearing as Santa Claus’ daughter in the Disney+ movie Noelle, doubles down on December cheer in a tuneful two-minute film from the brand’s in-house creative team. 

She performs a revised version of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. The words are more brand-centric than you might remember, reflecting Frito-Lay’s desire for everyone to enjoy a salty, crunchy yuletide season. 

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright yellow Lay’s bags and noses frostbitten
Snack-table spread that is fit for a king
These are a few of my favorite things.

Warm ugly sweater because your friends say so
Bags of Tostitos with salsa and queso
Wild geese that fly with the moo on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.”

The atmosphere grows ever more Christmas-y. Manically so. In snow-drenched, self-conscious style. Maybe it’s a jaunty jab at all the holly-jolly ads tossed beneath the tree this time of year. At one point, Matty Cardarople appears (glad he escaped from that Skittles witch’s Halloween hotpot!), as does Teresa Dahlquist of Golden Sisters fame. L.A.’s Solvang Bakery provided the gigunda gingerbread house (sporting Frito-Lay treats hung with care).

This marks the company’s first-ever holiday campaign, and the spot breaks wide today. 

“We know there’s a tremendous business opportunity during the six-week holiday period, with an estimated 327 million family and friend gatherings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s,” says Frito-Lay vp of creative and digital Chris Bellinger. “That’s four times as many get-togethers as on Super Bowl Sunday, which adds up to a lot of snacking occasions.” 

By putting multiple snacks in one high-profile commercial, “each brand is able to leverage the others’ equity to increase their own, which is especially key for the occasions when people are going to the store to purchase snacks in bulk for parties, family gatherings or recipes,” he says.

In terms of creative development, Frito-Lay envisioned using this particular song and actress from the start. “She has the witty personality and creative mind that we knew could bring this idea to life in a fun way, essentially sharing a wink and a nod with viewers as we all look forward to what makes the holidays so great—friends, family and food,” Bellinger says.

Below you’ll find an extra stocking-stuffer clip, in which Kendrick discusses re-gifting, what makes a great holiday party and her favorite carol. (Spoiler alert: It’s “Good King Wenceslas.” Maybe Frito-Lay can snack-ify that one with Kendrick next year. It would be rad if she battled an elf over a bag of chips—that’s never been done before!)

CREDITS

Agency: Frito-Lay
Client: Frito-Lay
CMO: Rachel Ferdinando
VP, Creative & Digital: Chris Bellinger
Creative Director: Christian Hoyle
Account Director: Hayes Hereau
Account Manager: Christie Duoos
SVP, PGS & Core Brands Frito-Lay: Marissa Solis
Sr. Brand Director: Matt Gould
Brand Manager: Lauren Niculescu
Content Production Lead: Chase Rodriguez
Producer: Colleen Dirsmith
Copywriter: Nick Scott
ACD: Nick Marshall
Public Relations Director:Jen Crichton
President, Global Foods: Jen Saenz
Social Strategist: Cilla Sutfin
Social Strategist: Kelly Linthicum
Frito-Lay Sr. Media Director: James Clarke
Frito-Lay Media Director: Amanda Corral
Frito-Lay Media Manager: Esther Brodrick
Production Company: Radical Media
Director: Dave Meyers
Director of Photography: Scott Cunningham
Line Producer: Steve Fredriksz
Editorial Company: Cabin Editing Company
Editor: Greg Scruton
Editorial Producer: Michelle Dorsch
Visual Effects Company: Ingenuity Studios
Executive Music Producer: John Melillo
Music Production House: Storefront Music
Sound Design & Mix: Lime Studios
Audio Mixer: Jeff Malen, Audio Mixer
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan
Talent Agency: UEG