October 3, 2012

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Chester Cheetah, the iconic spokescat for the most playful snack in the world and a leading brand from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, unveiled a new electoral polling model with the unveiling of 3 feet by 4 feet one-of-a-kind Cheetos portraits of the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees – President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney.

Debuting on Facebook today, the portraits – made entirely of more than 2,000 individual Cheetos cheese snacks – will serve as a leading indicator regarding which "big cheese" the country will elect this fall. For two weeks, fans can vote in Chester's sure-fire electoral poll for their favorite cheesy portrait – or candidate – for a chance to win these official portraits commemorating each political party's head cheese.

Chester Cheetah tapped renowned artist, Jason Baalman, to create the cheesy interpretations of both candidates based on recent Facebook profile images. It took a combined 100 hours of work sorting and gluing each individual Cheetos snack into place for two truly unique portraits.

Baalman is no stranger to Cheetos as a medium, having previously immortalized Conan O'Brien, Rachael Ray and most recently, CeeLo Green in the orange snack. Using thousands of Cheetos snacks and a blank canvas, his art has been inserted into the pop-culture conversation as he depicts some of Hollywood's most notable faces.

"During the presidential campaign season, Americans constantly turn to the polls to find out how their favorite candidate is stacking up along the way," said Ram Krishnan, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "We decided to get in on the action by providing our fans with a truly cheesy way to add to the polling data. We know our fans are just as passionate about Cheetos as they are about America, so we can't wait to see who they'd pick as the next Commander in Cheese."

Starting today at 11:00 a.m. CT fans are invited to visit www.facebook.com/Cheetos to vote for their favorite candidate's likeness through 11:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, October 16. The results of this entirely un-scientific poll will be revealed just in time to help undecided voters during the presidential debates.

Cheetos snacks offer a way for families and friends to add a playful twist to their daily routine. The popular snacks are available in 17 varieties and 12 different flavors, including its newest addition — Cheetos Crunchy Salsa con Queso Cheese flavored snacks which hit store shelves earlier this year and are available in a 9.25-oz. package for a suggested retail price of $3.49.

About Cheetos

Cheetos is one of the billion-dollar brands that makes up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Cheetos by visiting www.cheetos.com or www.facebook.com/cheetos.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America