February 12, 2013

PLANO, Texas, Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in its 75-year history, Lay's potato chips, one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, today introduced three new consumer-inspired potato chip flavors in stores nationwide.  Selected and created as finalists of the brand's Lay's "Do Us A Flavor" contest, Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread, Lay's Chicken & Waffles and Lay's Sriracha flavored potato chips were chosen from nearly 3.8 million fan submissions gathered between July 20 and October 6, 2012. The three contestants behind these finalist flavors are now vying for the chance to win $1 million in grand prize money or one percent of their flavor's 2013 net sales (whichever is higher).

All three finalist flavors are now available for purchase at retail locations nationwide. From now until May 4, 2013, consumers can vote each day for their favorite finalist flavor on the Lay's Facebook Page, via Twitter using the hashtag #SaveChickenWaffles, #SaveGarlicBread or #SaveSriracha, or via text message by texting "VOTE" to 24477 (CHIPS). The winning flavor will be revealed this May and will remain on store shelves following the completion of the contest.

"It has been incredible to see the variety of flavor ideas that resulted from the millions of consumer submissions from all around the country," said Ram Krishnan, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "Millions of Lay's fans showed tremendous passion and creativity for our brand, making it extremely difficult to narrow the submissions down to just three finalist flavors. But now the final decision is in America's hands – and we can't wait to see what they will decide to be the next great potato chip flavor." 

Today, the three contest finalists – Christina Abu-Judom from Phoenix, Ariz. who submitted Chicken & Waffles; Karen Weber-Mendham from Land O' Lakes, Wis. who submitted Cheesy Garlic Bread; and Tyler Raineri from Lake Zurich, Ill. who submitted Sriracha – will join actress and restaurateur Eva Longoria, celebrity chef and restaurateur Michael Symon, and Frito-Lay and PepsiCo executives at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) where they will ring The Opening BellSM, introduce their flavors and invite America to "invest" in a favorite. From there, the three finalists, Longoria, and Symon will invite New Yorkers to stop by the 32-foot all-electric Frito-Lay delivery truck parked outside the NYSE building to enjoy free samples of all three finalist flavors, along with refreshing Pepsi beverages.

In addition to taking part in today's announcement, Longoria and Symon were also part of the judging panel made up of chefs, foodies and flavor experts who determined the three finalist flavors. The three finalist flavors were then fully developed by Frito-Lay's culinary experts and brought to store shelves.

"As a cookbook author and restaurateur, I've come to really appreciate delicious and unique flavors – so it has been so fun to see the creative ideas fans submitted to the Lay's 'Do Us A Flavor' contest," said actress Eva Longoria. "Simply put, America is going to love the three finalist flavors. I can't wait to see which one they select as the winner."

About the Finalists

To submit a flavor idea for the "Do Us A Flavor" contest, fans were asked to provide their flavor name, up to three possible ingredients and a description or inspiration for their flavor.  In alphabetical order, the finalists are:

  • Lay's Chicken & Waffles: Christina Abu-Judom, a volunteer coordinator at a Phoenix, Ariz. non-profit.  Her flavor inspiration: Her nephew – who encouraged Christina to enter the contest – and who's favorite dish has always been chicken & waffles. He'll still never let her live down that one time when she stole a bite of waffle from his plate.  
  • Lay's Cheesy Garlic Bread:  Karen Weber-Mendham, a part-time children's librarian and mom of three in Land O'Lakes, Wis.  Her flavor inspiration: Going out for pizza is a treat for Karen and her family; while waiting for the pizza to come to the table, Karen always orders a bowl of cheesy garlic bread for the family to enjoy.  Cutting the bread into equal sized pieces so her children don't quibble, Karen can barely put down the bowl before it's completely snatched up. 
  • Lay's Sriracha: Tyler Raineri, a student at Illinois State University.  His flavor inspiration: Forgoing typical dips, Tyler prefers to coat his chips, and pretty much everything else, in Sriracha.  It was a taste he inherited from his grandmother whose homemade chips were always seasoned with a dab of this red-hot sauce. And it's a tradition he now shares with his housemates at school.

About the Contest

The "Do Us A Flavor" contest has proven to be a successful model for PepsiCo around the world as the contest has been previously held in numerous countries with consumers suggesting millions of chip flavors.  From the UK and India to Australia and South Africa, the "Do Us A Flavor" contest has resulted in a wide spectrum of popular consumer-created chip flavors, including Mastana Mango, Walkie Talkie Chicken, Caesar Salad, Chilli & Chocolate, Late Night Kebob and even Cajun Squirrel.  This is the first time the "Do Us A Flavor" contest has been held in the U.S.

In May, the Lay's brand will announce the winning flavor of America's "Do Us A Flavor" contest.  The two runner-up finalists will each win $50,000 in prize money, with the grand prize winner taking home $1 million or one percent of the 2013 net sales of the winning flavor (whichever is higher).

In addition to being part of the judging panel that determined the three finalist flavors, Longoria and Symon have also been appearing in national television and online advertising, as well as a retail marketing campaign to support the contest.

Longoria, an award-winning actress, best-selling cookbook author and philanthropist, is the owner of Beso, one of the hottest eateries in Los Angeles known for its eclectic menu of colorful and tasty dishes from around the world. Originally from Cleveland, Symon is the current co-host of the ABC daytime talk show "The Chew" and appears on Cooking Channel's "Symon's Suppers." He is also the owner of four award-winning restaurants located in America's heartland: Lola, Lolita, Roast and B Spot, as well as the recently opened Bar Symon inside Pittsburgh International Airport.  

More details and official contest rules are available at www.facebook.com/lays. 

About Lay's

Lay's potato chips 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 Lay's by visiting www.facebook.com/lays or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lays.

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