July 22, 2013

PLANO, Texas, July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cracker Jack'D brand, on a mission to help keep people going through their busy days, has partnered with custom auto powerhouse West Coast Customs (WCC) to design and build an exclusive mobile sampling vehicle that will be used for an engaging one-of-a-kind cross-country tour. The unique vehicle will also be featured on an episode of the show West Coast Customs later this summer. Cracker Jack'D is one of the many brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division.

The highly stylized, black exterior of this converted RV will be hard to ignore. With a look and feel inspired by the eye-catching design of Cracker Jack'D packaging, the RV comes complete with a transparent water-filled dunk tank dubbed "Splash Party." Fans will not only get to try the Cracker Jack'D snacks, they'll get a shot at knocking someone into the dunk tank.  The excitement will be captured real-time through vehicle-mounted cameras streaming video to an exterior-mounted 50-inch television screen, enabling fans to see themselves as they get in on the action.  Consumers can follow the tour and check out the streaming video at each stop by visiting the Cracker Jack'D brand on Facebook and Twitter.

"We didn't want this to be a run of the mill sampling event.  These are 'Snacks with Impact' so the way we sample needs to make an impact too.  The Cracker Jack'D 'Splash Party' is a fun, engaging way to have that impact," said David Skena, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay. "We couldn't think of a better partner than West Coast Customs to help us deliver a Cracker Jack'D vehicle that is totally in line with the tone of the brand."

The official Cracker Jack'D "Splash Party" tour schedule is as follows:

  • Huntington Beach, Calif. – U.S. Open of Surfing (July 20-28)
  • Reno, Nev. - Hot August Nights (Aug. 7-10)
  • Fresno, Calif. - Lowrider Tour 2013 (Aug. 17)
  • Pleasanton, Calif. - Goodguys West Coast Nationals (Aug. 23-25)
  • Kansas City, Mo. - Dancefestopia (Sept. 13-14)
  • Fort Worth, Texas - Goodguys Lone Star Nationals (Oct. 4-6)

"Creating this vehicle for the Cracker Jack'D brand was an incredible experience for our team given the synergies between our two brands," said Ryan Friedlinghaus, CEO and founder, WCC. "We're looking forward to the excitement this RV is sure to deliver on tour."

As part of its partnership with WCC, the Cracker Jack'D brand is also launching a consumer sweepstakes, offering fans the chance to win a trip to California to hang with Ryan Friedlinghaus and his WCC crew. For official rules and to enter, fans can visit http://www.crackerjackd.com/.

Fans are also encouraged to tune into West Coast Customs, Sundays at 5 p.m. (PST) on Fox Sports Networks (FSN).

Cracker Jack'D snacks were launched earlier this year to meet the demands of on-the-go millenial consumers. The line includes three core varieties of "snacks with impact" – Hearty Mix, Intense Mix and Sweet & Savory Clusters. Conveniently packaged in individual snack packets, Cracker Jack'D snacks are available at convenience stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.49 each. For more information, follow Cracker Jack'D via www.twitter.com/CrackerJackD or www.facebook.com/CrackerJackDSnacks.

About Cracker Jack'D
The Cracker Jack'D brand is one of the many brands that make 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 Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/fritolay.

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 from treats to healthy eats; 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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About West Coast Customs
Headquartered in Corona, Calif., West Coast Customs was founded in 1993 by Ryan Friedlinghaus. West Coast Customs is known by car enthusiasts as the premiere high-end modification shop that can transform any vehicle into a work of art. West Coast Customs is not only known for building cars but delivering dynamic television content to a wide range of viewers. Owner Ryan Friedlinghaus and his shop have been doing exclusive custom builds for the MTV show Pimp my Ride, TLC's Street Customs, Street Customs Berlin and now on his new show West Coast Customs. Ryan and his crew are world-renowned for their extreme vehicles, outrageous features, and next level designs.  For media information, visit www.westcoastcustoms.com.  Follow West Coast Customs on Twitter @selfmaderyan and facebook.com/officialwcc.

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America