Goodby Silverstein & Partners launched a new campaign for Tostitos about the importance of friendship. And who better to prove that point than ’80s action star turned Friends guest Jean-Claude Van Damme??
The campaign is centered around a 30-second spot celebrating all your favorite bros.
Van Damme’s advice? Stop declining your friends’ invitations to hang out due to being busy. Because he might take your place — at everything from house parties to poker night to your best friend’s wedding. The message is simple: Don’t let Van Damme steal your friends.
“You just got Van Dammed. Don’t get Van Dammed,” Jean-Claude says at the conclusion of the spot, followed by the “Get Together Already” tagline.
Two 15-second spots see Van Damme sharing some advice from a “Wise Man” (himself) and comparing friends to salsa. Three 6-second ads further extend the effort.
The campaign clearly positions Tostitos as a go-to option for friendly get-togethers. That makes sense for the party staple and builds off the direction GS&P took for the brand in its “Super Bowl Invite” campaign for the band. That effort similarly focused on friendship, giving viewers the chance to invite friends to their Super Bowl party with their very own Super Bowl ads.
We haven’t heard from Van Damme in awhile, but he was, of course, something of an advertising staple for a few years. He famously starred Forsman & Bodenfors’ classic “Epic Split” spot for Volvo Trucks in 2013, following an appearance in Deutsch’s GoDaddy campaign a few months prior. He then went on to sculpt an ice bar in VCCP’s spot for Coors Light in the U.K.