PepsiCo and Frito-Lay Celebrate the Holidays With Immersive AR Experience
PepsiCo’s North American Divisions and Frito-Lay are gearing up for the holidays by implementing immersive experiences and tapping into augmented reality (AR) to capture consumer interest through a new Share More Joy campaign.
Consumers will be able to get up close and personal with Frito-Lay's limited-time snacks and branded merch through a new digital Holiday Village. The immersive experience allows consumers to use AR within the Portrait Studio using Snapchat to “try on” eligible merch pieces such as a branded Ruffles weather and Doritos scarf.
Within the village, visitors can also purchase several product bundles, including a Doritos-branded sled and Flamin’ Hot beanies. Additionally, they can watch the new campaign commercial, which debuts on Thanksgiving Day titled “Melt.”
[More Innovative Experiences: Maison Hennessy’s Exclusive NFT Membership Is a Unique Twist on Web3]
Limited-time flavors include Lay's Sweet & Salty Dipped Clusters, Cheetos Snowflakes, the Cheetos Popcorn Tin with Cheddar and Flamin' Hot flavored popcorn, Tostitos Red Trees, Smartfood Merry Berry, Smartfood Caramel & Cinnamon Apple, the Smartfood Holiday Tin, and PopCorners Cinnamon Crunch at retailers nationwide.
Also within the Holiday Village is a Holiday Kitchen, which features seasonal recipes.
"Our core mission is to create more smiles," said Aidan Kingerlee, vice president of marketing at PepsiCo. "The holidays are a time to bring loved ones and friends together, and PepsiCo beverages and snacks are the perfect complement for holiday celebrations. We are so excited to feature our iconic beverage and snack brands in our joyous and fun holiday commercial this year."
Immersive Innovation: Getting Closer to Consumers
PepsiCo and Frito-Lay have been embracing immersive experiences as of late. Last month, the brands launched a Cheetos digital neighborhood where consumers had the chance to bring a flavor back to the real world. This world was set inside Meta Horizon Worlds on Meta Quest 2 — run by Meta Platform Inc.’s (previously known as Facebook) metaverse platform and respective VR headset.
In August, Frito-Lay launched interactive AR and social media experiences. As part of the brand’s new Another Level initiative, consumers could undergo a nationwide hunt using an AR lens on Snapchat called “Triangle Tracker” that converts any real-world triangles into Doritos. The experience rewarded engagement through exclusive rewards.
Frito-Lay has also leveraged pop-culture to engage its audiences, launching a virtual “Live From The Upside Down" concert this past June to celebrate season four premiere of Netflix’s show Stranger Things.
A holiday-focused experience was the next logical step.
"Each year, we reimagine our 'Share More Joy' campaign and find new ways to celebrate the magic of the season," said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay. "Creating our holiday commercial for the first time in partnership with PepsiCo Beverages allowed us to bring together even more fan-favorite brands and tell an uplifting story of togetherness and the lengths we might go to share more joy with those around us."
