Comparative Study of Chinese and Spanish Advertising from the Perspective of Althusserianism: the Case of Lay’s

Advertising, as a part of popular culture, penetrates deeply into various aspects of daily life. Each advertisement, regardless of what it says or omits, conveys an underlying ideology that contributes to its global significance. Lay’s, a potato chip brand owned by PepsiCo in the United States, has achieved notable success in both China and Spain. As a transnational corporation, Lay’s has adapted its products to these two distinct markets, offering a range of categories and local flavors. By comparing and analyzing the advertising slogans and themes in these two countries, we found that the brand's philosophy in China seems to have more collectivist characteristics, and in advertisements, products must transcend their own nature with contextualization, while in Spain, the brand emphasizes humor and creativity. Consumerism is a common thread in the advertising ideologies of both countries, but Spain's approach to advertising is more subtle, focusing more on consumers’ cognitive and aesthetic needs. In contrast, in China, the advertisements center more on the social care, family support and care, that is, the need for belonging and love.