July 17, 2023

The PepsiCo Foundation, in partnership with Cheetos, will provide 500 Uplift Scholarships to Hispanic students to elevate their education and unleash their full potential

PLANO, Texas, July 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Artists have often been the face of a brand, but Cheetos®, famous for its iconic orange Cheetle® dust, is launching its latest Deja tu Huella campaign by doing something no other brand has done – sponsoring a musician's fingertips.

For years, Cheetos has celebrated Hispanic culture's impact on society and empowered the community with Deja tu Huella, its ongoing campaign inspired by the rally cry that translates to "leave your mark." To kick off the program's fourth iteration, Cheetos is launching the world's first fingertip sponsorship with global superstar Becky G in hopes of inspiring others to leave their mark on everything they touch.

As a longtime advocate for the Hispanic community, Becky G is joining the cause to support and celebrate the next generation of Hispanic students via scholarships provided by the PepsiCo Foundation, a community college tour, and a nationwide TikTok challenge. In a TV commercial released today, Cheetos demonstrates how Becky G's Cheetle-covered fingertips can empower members of the Hispanic community to chase their dreams as she did.

"It's so surreal that Cheetos – a family favorite – is sponsoring my fingertips so that we can help mi gente," said Becky G. "Giving back and making positive change in my community is important to me, which is why this collaboration with Cheetos and the Deja tu Huella campaign was a no-brainer. It's helping open doors for so many young people to leave their mark on the world!"

Championing Future Leaders with Uplift Scholarships
To support the Hispanic community, the PepsiCo Foundation, in partnership with Cheetos, will award 500 Uplift Scholarships this year to students across 12 different community colleges classified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). In the next three years, the PepsiCo Foundation plans to award more than 2,000 additional scholarships as part of its ongoing partnership with Cheetos.

The Uplift Scholarships provided by the PepsiCo Foundation will not only fund tuition-related costs but also provide support services, including access to emergency grants that would keep students from having to pause schooling, financial management webinars, and opportunities for mentorship with PepsiCo leadership and associates. Some scholars will also receive support for additional resources such as transportation, housing, and food assistance that will allow them to break past barriers that may hinder their pursuit of education.

How the Hispanic Community Can Get Involved
To encourage students to apply for the PepsiCo Foundation's Uplift Scholarships, Cheetos is launching the Deja tu Huella Tour, hosting events at community colleges across the country surrounding National Hispanic Heritage Month. With stops in Miami, San Antonio and Becky G's hometown of Los Angeles, the Deja tu Huella Tour will reach three community college systems with a collective population of more than 400,000 students. At each college campus, Cheetos will celebrate Hispanic students and provide them with valuable resources intended to support their future career growth, including resume reviews, professional headshots, mentorship opportunities and motivational speakers. Because Cheetos always brings the fun, the tour will also feature music, delicious food, photo opportunities and more. 

"Our mission with the Cheetos Deja tu Huella campaign is to shine a light on members of the Hispanic community who are leaving their mark on culture and encourage others to do the same by providing funding and support," said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of brand marketing at Frito-Lay. "We're proud to continue this commitment for the fourth time in a way that's never been done before with the world's first fingertip sponsorship of Becky G, a generation-defining artist who has inspired so many young people."

In addition to supporting students at the three Deja tu Huella Tour stops, Cheetos and Becky G are calling on fans nationwide to share how they leave their mark for a chance to win tickets to Becky G's first-ever headlining tour this fall and meet-and-greets with the superstar herself. To enter, fans can use their Cheetle-covered fingertips to record and submit a TikTok video with #DejatuHuellaTour and #entry showing five ways – one for each fingertip – they're leaving their mark on their community.

For more information on the Deja tu Huella program including the Uplift Scholarships, Deja tu Huella Tour and TikTok challenge, please visit Cheetos.com/DejatuHuella.

About Cheetos
Cheetos® has been delivering delicious cheesy snacks and making mischief with orange-covered fingertips for 75 years. Cheetos believes you should never lose your mischievous spark or playful spirit regardless of what life brings. It is one of the many brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. Follow Cheetos on Twitter (@ChesterCheetah), Instagram (@Cheetos), YouTube (@Cheetos), Facebook (Cheetos) and TikTok (@Cheetos).

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos snacks, Stacy's pita chips, PopCorners popped-corn snacks, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay). 

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. 

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

About the PepsiCo Foundation
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com.