Doritos launches world’s first silent snack for gamers
Doritos and PepsiCo’s in-house agency, Sips & Bites, have unveiled “Doritos Silent”.
This is the world’s first AI-augmented snack powered by Crunch Cancellation—a technology that cancels the Doritos crunch for fellow gamers in real-time as they game with each other.
The launch not only solves genuine consumer tension but also helps to cement Doritos as a top choice for gamers. A teaser launch of a new “Doritos Silent” product fed off natural intrigue, with the image of a Dorito in an ear across OOH and digital intensifying speculation, before the Doritos Crunch Cancellation technology was revealed.
Snacking and gaming are synonymous, with 86% of gamers claiming they tuck into a snack whilst playing[1].
Doritos' crunch and bold flavours have become popular amongst gamers, with consumers more likely to be gaming whilst eating Doritos compared to other salty snacks[2].
Yet Doritos research has uncovered that many gamers are put off by the sound of other players snacking. A third (35%) of gamers claim the sound of someone snacking frustrates them when playing, while one in five (18%) gamers say the sound makes them want to log off, with crisps identified as the worst audio culprit[3].
Doritos collaborated with leading software developers, Smooth Technology, to create the world’s first AI augmented chip. Taking half a year to develop, the process involved the technical analysis of more than 5,000 thousand different Doritos crunch sounds to create a database. From these recordings, Doritos Crunch Cancellation technology then utilises AI learning audio driver technology to allow gamers to enjoy their Doritos without interrupting their playing experience.
The campaign kicked off by teasing the launch of a Doritos Silent “product”, with adverts at 4 high footfall OOH locations. Shown at Piccadilly Circus, Mare St (Hackney), Liverpool, and Birmingham as well as across digital, it featured a divisive creative of a Doritos chip placed in an ear alongside the tag: “You won’t hear it coming”. A microsite continued to tease gamers, inviting them to cancel the crunch.
Digital and social content finally revealed the AI-augmented product, showcasing the technology in action for two gamers. The ad signs off with a ‘Game on, Crunch off’ tagline. The campaign was produced by Sips & Bites and OB management, shot by Josh Cohen and Lillie Eiger. Consumer PR activity was run by Splendid Comms, while OMD managed the media buying.
Matt Watson, executive creative director for Sips & Bites, at PepsiCo: “Our Crunch Cancellation tech delivers an entirely new snacking experience to gamers - the “Doritos Silent” experience. What we loved is how the concept is so intriguing to people; how on earth can you silence the iconic crunch of a Doritos? It’s this immediate curiosity that was the spark behind our big idea as we teased a new Doritos Silent “product”. People immediately asked “what?” and “how?” and the disruptive image of an actual Dorito in an ear escalated the buzz, before we revealed it to be the world’s first AI Augmented Silent Snack. By silencing one of our biggest assets, we made it even louder.”
Credits
Agency: Sips & Bites @ Pepsico
Nancy Croix – Managing Director – Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Matt Watson – Executive Creative Director - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Chris Lovell – Senior Creative - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Jon Beach – Senior Creative - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Tom McMahon – Senior Creative - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Alex Milic – Senior Creative – Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Carmen DeWitt – Executive Producer - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Keir Simons – Business Director - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Jo Delaney – Strategy Director - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Ade Hopkins – Designer - Sips & Bites / PepsiCo
Client: Doritos @ PepsiCo
Fiona Tomlin – Chief Marketing Officer
Lee-Teng Houston - Marketing Director
Karina Stoltz - Senior Brand Manager
Harry Drakes - Total Connections Planning Lead
Aleks Sikorska- Total Connections Planning Manager
Marina Felippe - Insights Manager
DORITOS CREDIT LIST - JOSH COHEN
Director: Josh Cohen @josh_cohenNancy Croix:
Director of Photography: Pieter Snyman @pieter_filmstills
Production Company: OB42 @ob42.uk
Executive Producer: Sam Holmes @kvlto
Producer: Jack Bradley @jack.bradley
Line Producer: Marija Djikic @marija.djikic
Casting Director: Emma Garrett CDG @emmagarrettcasting
Casting Associate: Anna Lydon @annalydon
Production Manager: Wojciech Czarkowski @voi.tek
Service Production Company: Shishmish Films @shishmish.films
Local Producer: Vladimir Dudar @mattanko
Local Production Assistant: Marija Kalanj @kalanjeva
1st Assistant Director: Rados Vucic
Production Designer: Goran Joksimovic @yoxatt
Art Director: Tijana Joksimovic
Costume Designer: Jelena Djordjevic @niobida
MU Artist: Marija Stosic @marijastosicmua
Hair Stylist: Zvezdana @zvezdanahair
Gaffer: Dragan Sapic @sapalights_rental
Key Grip: Nikola Bojic @bojkee86
Sound: Nikola Radivojevic @nikolaradivojevic
SFX: Danilo Dudic
Editor: Chris Walker @chriswalker.tv
Edit house: MSE @mes.tv
VFX: Harry Davidson @davidsonhrj
Design and animation: Dexter George @dextergeorge
Grade: Tim Smith @timotheous
Grade producer: Charlie Morris @charlesedmorris
Grade company: No.8 @no8colour
Sound Design: Jake Ashewell @jake.ashwell
Post-Sound House: 750 MPH @750_mph
Music composer: Joe Davies
DORITOS CREDIT LIST - LILLIE EIGER
Production Company: OB42 @ob42.uk
EP: Sam Holmes @kvlto & Marija Djikic @marija.djikic
Director: Lillie Eiger @lillieeiger
Producer: Wojciech Czarkowski @voi.tek
Director of Photography: Strahinja Pavlovic @cine_strahinja
Lighting Assistant: Richard Bartram @richbartram
Cast: Iva Kosovac & Cheriti Nwangi
Agency: Pepsico
Executive Creative Director: Matthew Watson
Art Director: Chris Lovell
Copywriter: Jonathan Beach
Agency Producer: Carmen De Witt
Account Director: Keir Simons
Casting Director : Emma Garrett CDG @emmagarrettcasting
Casting Associate : Anna Lydon @annalydon
Service Production Company: Shishmish Films @shishmish.films
Local Producer: Vladimir Dudar @mattanko
Local Production Assistant: Marija Kalanj @kalanjeva
1st Assistant Director: Rados Vucic
2nd Assistant Director: Masa Miljkovic
Digi Op: Nenad Aksic @nenadaksic
Production Designer: Goran Joksimovic @yoxatt
Art Director: Tijana Joksimovic
Food Stylist: Dejan Sutanovac @food_stylist_dejan_sutanovac
Costume Designer: Jelena Djordjevic @niobida
MU Artist: Marija Stosic @marijastosicmua
Hair Stylist: Zvezdana @zvezdanahair
Grip: Marko Deljanin @deljanin_marko
Spark: Nikolic Nemanja
Editor: Rebecca Spaven @beccaspaven
Edit House: Marshall Street Editors @mse.tv
VFX: Harry Davidson @davidsonhrj
Grade: Tim Smith @timotheous
Grade Producer: Charlie Morris @charlesedmorris
Grade House: No.8 @no8colour
Sound Design: Jake Ashewell @jake.ashwell
Post-Sound House: 750 MPH @750_mph
- Research of 2,000 UK adults conducted by One Poll between 2nd October and 6th October 2023.
- Research of 2,000 UK adults conducted by One Poll between 2nd October and 6th October 2023.
- BOLT Shape of Demand Tracking MAT Q3 2022, Kantar
- [Research of 2,000 UK adults conducted by One Poll between 2nd October and 6th October 2023.
- UKIE stats - https://www.bbc.com/news/enter...
- Newzoo’s Generations Report: How Different Generations Engage with Games, 2021
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