Pringles teamed up with England and Chelsea star Cole Palmer to launch its new HOT range with a bold, culturally charged campaign that fused humour, authenticity, and social buzz into one of the brand’s most successful social activations to date.
Playing on the natural tension between Pringles HOT and Cole’s famous cool, HOT vs COLE pitted fiery flavour against football’s coolest character. The standout moment – a sauna-set Q&A “heat test” – saw Cole face heated questions and even hotter crisps without breaking a sweat. His deadpan humour and awkward charm turned what could have been an ad into a cultural moment that spread like wildfire.
Fans loved it. Cole’s unfiltered personality drove 28M+ organic views, sparked thousands of fan-created memes, and delivered Pringles’ best-ever UK social engagement rates.
The campaign extended beyond screens: bold in-store takeovers across Tesco, Asda, and Sainsbury’s featured the same confident creative, driving sales and visibility with a “Score HOT Prizes with Cole” promotion.
HOT vs COLE built the idea around the talent. By embracing Cole’s natural humour and giving him space to be himself, Pringles showed how authentic partnerships can deliver both cultural relevance and commercial impact.
