Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo Frito-Lay's snack brand Cheetos will launch House of Flamin' Haute Sept. 5-7 during New York Fashion Week, according to a press release. The campaign, showcasing fans' interpretations of Cheetos-inspired looks, will include the brand's first runway show and style bar.
- The runway show is curated by fashion influencers and stylists @luanna, @Hungry Hipsters, @thenavarose, and @stylistjbolin, and will also feature a signature look designed by renowned costume designer Ami Goodheart. Fans are asked to share their own "looking like a snack" fashion look using the brand's #CheetosFlaminHaute hashtag on Instagram, for a chance to attend the show. Cheetos-inspired looks include Wild Cheetah Cat Eye and Cheetos Puff Buns.
- As long as appointments last, fans are also invited to schedule a session with the brand's mascot Chester Cheetah and a team of pro stylists at the style bar for Sept. 6 or 7. The bar's salon services include Cheetah Tail Braids, Fiery Flamin' Hot Eyes, Chester's Ombre Kiss and Caught Snacking Nails.
Dive Insight:
As the competition for consumer attention heats up in an age when a competitor is only a click away, brands of every kind are trying their best to become a lifestyle expression as a way to drive earned media and loyalty. The latest wrinkle in the trend has made New York Fashion Week a destination for non-fashion brands that want to convey their style. For instance, Sweetarts recently teamed up with Christian Siriano to bring the brand's "Be Both" campaign to the designer's New York Fashion Week runway show. Likewise, Schick is celebrating baldness with a launch event during Fashion Week for its new Bald Important People club.
Cheetos has been at the forefront of offering themed fashions to engage loyal customers, with Frito-Lay's Brandi Ray, senior director of marketing, recently saying that the Cheetos brand is now "a lifestyle brand among fans." In June, Cheetos partnered with fashion retailer Forever 21 to launch a limited-edition apparel collection that included sweatshirts, swimsuits, T-shirts, dresses and other gear whose images, colors and logos related to Cheetos Crunchy and Cheetos Flamin’ Hot snacks.
In 2017, Cheetos teamed up with clothing retailer and crowdfunding site Betabrand for an Easter-themed Spring Snack Line that included a parasol with built-in pockets to store Cheetos and an ascot dubbed a Snackschot that also served as a pouch for food. A luxury goods take on the trend saw Cheetos sell clothing, perfume furniture, cuff links and some jewelry as costly as $20,000 via an online store and holiday catalog in 2016. Roughly half of the products sold out in the first few days.
Other food brands have also pinpointed lifestyle marketing as an opportunity as they try to engage younger consumers. In the fall of 2017, fast food chain Taco Bell teamed up with Forever 21 to offer tops, bodysuits, sweatshirts and jackets showing brand-related images. KFC unveiled an e-commerce shop in 2017 with T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing Colonel Sander’s likeness while McDonald's created a collection of branded casual clothes around the same time.
