Get Your Pitch On! Lay's 'Do Us A Flavor' Seeks America's Next Great Potato Chip Flavor And Celebrates The Stories Behind The Flavors With $1 Million Award
By: Marina Kennedy Jan. 10, 2017
"Spaghetti and Meatballs!" "Cinnamon Roll!" "Stuffed Peppers!"
Nearly everyone has a great flavor idea perhaps it's the newest flavor for Lay's potato chips worth a whopping $1 million. After all, a select few have been lucky enough to see their potato chip flavors come to life already.
Lay's, one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, is once again giving people the chance at $1 million by bringing back the iconic "Do Us a Flavor" contest and asking fans for their flavor ideas and the story or inspiration behind them all in a flavor-packed pitch. Helping Lay's celebrate the personalities behind the flavors is TV personality and multiplatinum recording artist Nick Lachey, known for his flavorful personality and love of local flavors and cuisines with his restaurant and bar in Cincinnati. Lachey, a fan of the "Do Us a Flavor" contest throughout the years, helped surprise the four finalists and award the winner in 2015.
In its fourth year, the latest installment of the contest - "The Pitch" - asks fans nationwide to simply "pitch" their best Lay's potato chip flavor ideas and the inspiration behind it through a photo, video and/or written description to bring the idea to life. Three mouth-watering finalist flavors will then be fully developed and brought to store shelves nationwide for America's vote, ultimately deciding which lucky flavor fan will take home the $1 million grand prize. Fans are encouraged to visit www.Lays.com to submit their flavor ideas.
"Our fans live flavorful lives, full of delicious tastes and rich personal experiences, which have translated to interesting and innovative chip flavor ideas throughout the years," said Jeannie Cho, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay. "These incredible flavor ideas were created by everyday fans, each with their own flavorful story. This year, we're asking fans to pitch us their $1 million dollar flavor idea because we also want to see the flavor behind the flavor - we want to celebrate the people, passion and inspiration stories behind the flavor ideas that make it delicious."
To kick off this year's contest, the Lay's brand teamed up with Lachey and his brother Drew for a one-night-only event in New York City that involved some friendly sibling competition. To inspire submissions, the talented Lachey brothers held a "pitch-off" bringing flavors to life on stage through song and dance.
"After meeting the four finalists from the last 'Do Us a Flavor' contest, I was able to see the passion that lies behind these delicious flavor submissions," said Lachey. "These ideas don't come out of thin air everyone has a story to tell about how they were inspired and there are so many fun and creative ways to do that. With 'The Pitch,' fans now have the exciting chance to tell their stories like never before - they literally have the chance to pitch why their flavor should be the winner."
Now through March 19, fans can submit their flavor suggestions on www.Lays.com. To submit, fans will be asked to "pitch" their flavor idea through a video, photo and/or a written inspiration. Submissions will also include the flavor name, up to three ingredients and optional bag customization.
Similar to past years of "Do Us a Flavor," a judging panel made up of chefs, foodies and flavor experts will narrow down the semifinalists to three finalist flavors that will be fully developed by Frito-Lay's culinary experts and brought to market this summer. Once the finalist flavors are announced, it will be up to fans to vote and decide which flavor is worth $1 million. The winning flavor as determined by fan votes will be revealed in the fall. Semi-finalists will receive $10,000, and the two runner-up finalists will each win $50,000 in prize money. The grand prize winner will take home $1 million to help make their life even more flavorful.
Brief Contest History
PepsiCo has held "Do Us a Flavor" contests in numerous countries with consumers suggesting millions of ideas for chip flavors around the world. In July 2012, the Lay's brand launched its first "Do Us A Flavor" contest in the U.S., which resulted in Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread submitted by Karen Weber-Mendham, a children's librarian from Land O'Lakes, Wis., being selected as the first million-dollar winner. The contest returned to the U.S. for a second time in Jan. 2014, which resulted in Lay's Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger submitted by Meneko Spigner McBeth, a nurse from Deptford, N.J., as the second grand-prize winner. And in January 2015, the third installment began, which later crowned Lay's Southern Biscuits and Gravy the winner. The winning submission was from Hailey Green, a travel agent from Noblesville, Ind.
For more information and official contest rules, please visit www.Lays.com.
About Lay's
Lay's is one of the brands that makes up Frito-Lay North America, the $14 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/fritolay. Learn more about Lay's by visiting www.facebook.com/lays or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lays. You can also follow Lay's on Instagram by visiting http://instagram.com/lays.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than$63 billionin net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than$1 billioneach in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
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