Alabama has landed a spot in the top 10 most joyful states in the country, according to Lay’s first Smiles Survey — and the reason will surprise no one who has spent time in the Heart of Dixie.
According to the findings, the number one reason to smile in Alabama is the friendly people.
The survey set out to map the happiest corners of the country. While 66 percent of Americans overall consider themselves happy, New York reported the highest level of joy, followed by Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Arkansas, Connecticut, Alabama and Indiana.
The brand behind the chips is also turning the campaign toward good deeds: Lay’s is looking for local people to star on millions of its bags as part of the Smile With Lay’s competition. Anyone who knows someone who goes out of their way to make others smile can nominate them, with winners receiving a starring role in the new campaign benefiting Operation Smile, a medical nonprofit that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial differences.
Nominations can be submitted online, giving Alabamians a chance to put the state’s reputation for friendliness on a bag of chips while supporting a cause that provides surgeries where they are needed most.