March 3, 2016

PLANO, Texas, March 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Each Easter, Americans purchase more than 120 million pounds – 60,000 tons - of candy animals1 – from bunnies to chicks and, of course, their eggs. The Cheetos brand, one of the flagship brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, and Chester Cheetah believe it's time for a change. Welcome back Cheetos Sweetos, the seriously popular, seriously delicious cinnamon-sugar snack, and the brand's first sweet innovation in nearly 70 years! 

According to a recent survey, three out of every five Americans love a sweet spring treat. In fact, more than 70 percent of parents2 sneak them out of their kids' Easter baskets! But this year, the Cheetos brand is imploring parents – and everyone – to stop sneaking the sweet treats and to take a bite out of Cheetos Sweetos instead. 

"We know consumers are looking for alternative snacking options this time of year, so we've brought back Cheetos Sweetos." said Jeannie Cho, vice president of global brands, Frito-Lay. "This season, choosing Cheetos means you choose to save the candy animals."

The Cheetos survey2 also revealed:

  • Celebration is optional – Sixty-five percent of American adults love2 Easter treats, regardless of if they observe Easter or not
  • Bunnies and chicks are popular - Among those who eat candy animals every Easter season, 95 percent eat chocolate bunnies and 71 percent eat marshmallow chicks
  • They can't hear you! Seventy-two percent of Americans who eat candy animals every Easter season eat chocolate bunnies ears first
  • Not so guilt-free snacking? Twenty percent of Americans have felt guilty at some point for eating candy animals

To shine a light on the plight of the candy animals, the Cheetos brand unveiled a series of videos featuring candy animals themselves pleading for their cause. Watch the videos on Cheetos.com and on Cheetos' Facebook page, and spread the word.

For more information about how you can mix up your seasonal snacking visit www.cheetos.com, suggested retail price $1.49 to $3.49.

Also back this season the brand is putting its playful – and mischievous – stamp on one of the most anticipated spring holiday traditions – egg decorating. Cheetos.com, the "Eggerator" is allowing consumers to digitally decorate their own digital eggs. Those who design and submit an egg will be entered into a contest for a chance to win $1,000 each week. For more information, please see the official rules at www.eggerator.cheetos.com.

1 Annual Easter Candy Consumer Spending Data Source: Statisticbrain.com

2 Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted via telephone by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Frito-Lay among a sample of 1,003 adults (18 years of age or older) living in the continental United States. The study was conducted using two probability samples: randomly selected landline telephone numbers and randomly selected mobile (cell) telephone numbers.  Weighting adjustments were applied to showcase a representative sample of the adult population in continental United States, reducing the potential for biases. Interviews for this survey were completed February 18-21st, 2016. Survey results have a margin of error of +/- 3.09% at the 95% confidence interval for this sample size. Additional context:

  • 70 percent of parents of children under 18 living in their household who celebrate Easter sneak them out of their kids' Easter baskets
  • Sixty-five percent of American adults who eat candy animals every Easter season enjoy treats, regardless of if they observe Easter or not

About Cheetos
Cheetos is one of many Frito-Lay brands in 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 Cheetos by visiting www.facebook.com/Cheetos.

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 $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, 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 billion each 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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SOURCE Frito-Lay