Leo Burnett Taiwan and Lay’s Taiwan Solve an Important Issue with a 'Finger Washing Machine'

A contraption that instantly detects and sanitizes fingers now enables instant enjoyment of a bag of Lay’s crisps. Genius!  

Developed by Leo Burnett Taiwan, the Lay’s Finger Washing Machine tackles a real conundrum with a compact and nifty solution: heightened by the Covid pandemic, many people in Taiwan still feel anxious about eating with their hands, hoard snacks instead of sharing them, and prefer eating snack foods with chopsticks or other utensils. 

The agency set out to solve this problem by inventing the Lay’s Finger Washing Machine, a limited-edition mini washing machine that’s just six inches tall yet crammed with innovative features. With a sensor that detects fingers, a charging dock, and a refillable tank, this handmade machine cleans fingers in just five seconds using a burst of sanitizing spray. 

“Clean fingers mean happy eaters. Now, thanks to the Lay’s Finger Washing Machine, people can enjoy Lay’s anywhere, even in bone-dry arid landscapes like Mars. We were worried the Lay’s Finger Washing Machine would have limited appeal given there are already many options for cleaning fingers, yet demand keeps growing, it has taken on a life of its own,” explains Parris Chou, creative director at Leo Burnett Taiwan.  

So far, the campaign has delivered Lay’s Taiwan an increased click rate of 173% with social interactions up 76%. The invention has generated media impressions worth almost USD$3 million, putting Lay’s in first place for top-of-mind brands in Taiwan. 

The Lay’s Finger Washing Machine follows the launch of another Lay’s invention earlier this year – the Lay’s Fortune Telling Chips web experience.