In an empty dark room, a dark-skinned hand flicks the power switch on a reel-to-reel player, and we begin to hear it roll and project. As it hums, Lebron James sits in the empty room watching clips of his Akron, Ohio childhood on a 16mm reel from a large screen. He says, “We’re all made of different things. Ridges that make us who we are.” Then, a cut to brightly lit shots of multiracial people faced with obstacles: a blind person approaching a skate ramp, an olive-toned tattooed woman walking into an all-male barbershop, a single Black father coming home to chaos, and an incarcerated Latinx man receiving a simple lunch. James continues to narrate, “We can keep them hidden away. We can let them defeat us.
Or we can embrace them.” Kendrick Lamar’s “D.N.A” echoes as we cut back to the people. Suddenly, the bass drops, and we see the blind person dive down the half-pipe with his sight stick in hand. The woman is actually a skilled barber, buzzing a fade on her client. The now formerly incarcerated man is serving tacos out of his own food truck, and the single father joyfully watches his son perform modern dance in their living room. James ends the journey with, “Own what makes you, you. And show the world what you can do.”
Or we can embrace them.” Kendrick Lamar’s “D.N.A” echoes as we cut back to the people. Suddenly, the bass drops, and we see the blind person dive down the half-pipe with his sight stick in hand. The woman is actually a skilled barber, buzzing a fade on her client. The now formerly incarcerated man is serving tacos out of his own food truck, and the single father joyfully watches his son perform modern dance in their living room. James ends the journey with, “Own what makes you, you. And show the world what you can do.”
It is a surprise to learn this empowering one minute is a commercial for Ruffles Potato Chips. Released on Christmas Day of 2021, what makes this ad worthy is the sheer representation of the many cultures in America. The product advertised is a bag of chips, but the commercial’s messaging goes above and beyond. Viewers can compare their individualities akin to the ridges of a chip. Ultimately, this leaves those who identify with the ad feeling seen.