Cheetos Vision is an app released at SXSW that makes photos and videos look like they were made with crunchy Cheetos snacks. Frito-Lay timed the app’s release with SXSW at a time when attendees were already thinking about tech and making memories.
The app, available on the iPhone App Store, is an AI camera that maps the lines and shadows on both images and videos, then overlays them with Cheetos. According to a spokesperson from Frito-Lay, the AI used deep learning to study Cheetos in order to make its creations look realistic. This involves a convolutional neural network “learning” Cheetos images using intense computation. That’s where the machine learning ends, but it’s enough to transform just about anything into the crunchy snack. In addition to capturing new footage, users can also transform existing photos and videos on their mobile devices.
Users are encouraged to share their cheesy creations on social media using the hashtag #CheetosVision. The app launch includes ads that use geo-targeting to reach SXSW attendees in Austin, Texas, along with a billboard on prominent display. Ads promoting Cheetos Vision are also running on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The app is consistent with Cheetos’ tongue-in-cheek brand persona. In February, the snack brand created and launched a dance move called “The Curl” to rally support for the USA Curling team in February. In August, it opened the Spotted Cheetah—a pop-up restaurant installation in New York that served a menu developed by Food Network personality Anne Burrell.
A Cheetos-themed fashion line was introduced in December of 2016 that offered items ranging from the spicy (Flamin’ Hot Pants) to the comfy (cheetah onesie) and even the pricey—a $20,000 sapphire and diamond ring.
PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division has adopted a mix of digital and experiential marketing campaigns in recent years. Cracker Jack has replaced its toys with mobile game codes. At E3 2016, Doritos’ Mix Arcade let viewers vote on visual effects during a concert through a Twitch livestream.
