Dive Brief:

• Cheetos has extended its partnership with Bad Bunny through a leisurewear capsule collection developed in collaboration with Adidas, according to a press release.
• The limited-run merchandise is inspired by the reggaeton artist's signature style, as well as the color scheme and patterns of mascot Chester Cheetah. While the gear will be available to consumers using the Ntwrk app starting Aug. 6, Cheetos provided some fans early access last week through an application of finger-scanning technology.
• Working with Adidas, the snack brand created a Cheetle iD e-commerce experience that asks website visitors to post photos of their fingers coated in Cheeto dust, or "Cheetle," to get a sneak peek and make purchases. The first-of-its-kind activation shows Cheetos deepening its ties to a popular artist while fashioning a stronger direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy.

Dive Insight:

Cheetos is deploying forward-looking technology to give its tie-up with Bad Bunny and Adidas a more exclusive feel, allowing only 100 consumers early access to the capsule collection through the Cheetle iD detector. The brand clearly anticipates high demand for the "extremely limited" merchandise line, speaking to Bad Bunny's power to draw in fans. The e-commerce activation doubles as phase two of a marketing partnership formed with the global reggaeton star last year through a "Deja tu Huella" campaign.

Cheetos has turned Cheetle — which more casual eaters may find a nuisance — into a running theme in its marketing. A 2020 Super Bowl campaign starring MC Hammer riffed on the concept, suggesting the orange dust played a key role in inspiring the rapper's hit single "U Can't Touch This."

The Frito-Lay snack label directs more energy into targeting Hispanic audiences with "Deja tu Huella," which translates to "leave your mark" and is meant to push people to create an impact on culture through music, fashion and other modes of expression. The effort is expanding to include a Deja tu Huella Estudiante Fund set up with Bad Bunny's Good Bunny Foundation that will reward 10 students with $50,000 each to be put toward their education. To enter the contest, consumers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico can post a 60-second video to TikTok demonstrating how they're supporting their community. Video submissions will be accepted through Aug. 18 and must tag Cheetos and use the #DejatuHuella and #Entry hashtags.

Consumers that missed the early-access window for the Adidas leisurewear line can enter a larger drawing on the Ntwrk app before the collection goes live in early August. Ntwrk is a livestream shopping app catered to younger cohorts like Gen Z. It hired Jason Brown, a former Footlocker executive, as its first marketing chief in June.

Cheetos experimenting with platforms like Ntwrk and the Cheetle iD finger-scanning tech speaks to how packaged good marketers are making bigger DTC bets as more shopping shifts to mobile and digital channels. PepsiCo, Frito-Lay's parent organization, has been investing more heavily in e-commerce as the pandemic alters consumer habits. Last year, it introduced two DTC sites, including a Snacks.com offering centered on the Frito-Lay portfolio.