Lay’s potato chips, one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, has revealed the four finalist flavors in its Lay’s “Do Us A Flavor” contest. Lay’s Cappuccino, Lay’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger and Lay’s Wavy Mango Salsa flavored potato chips were selected as finalists from the more than 14 million entries submitted to the contest between Jan. 13 and April 5. All four finalist flavors have been fully developed by Frito-Lay’s culinary experts and will make their debut on store shelves nationwide later this month. Consumer votes will determine which flavor is selected as the winner, with the finalist behind the winning idea taking home a $1 million grand prize.
From July 28-Oct. 18, consumers may vote once each day for their favorite finalist flavor at DoUsAFlavor.com; via Twitter, Instagram and/or Vine using the hashtags #SaveCappuccino, #SaveBaconMac, #SaveWasabi or #SaveMango; and/or via text message by texting “Cappuccino,” “Bacon Mac,” “Wasabi” or “Mango” to 24477 (CHIPS). The winning flavor will be revealed this November and will remain on store shelves following the completion of the contest.
“For just the second time in history, we asked fans across the U.S. to tell us what flavors they thought would be ‘yummy as a chip,’ and the response blew us away,” said Ram Krishnan, SVP of marketing for Frito-Lay North America. “The number and range of flavor ideas shared, the level of engagement our fans had with the program and the anticipation that has been mounting over the last several weeks as we prepared to name our finalists have demonstrated once again the incredible passion and excitement our fans have for great potato chip flavors. We can’t wait to see which flavor America selects as its favorite.”
The contest finalists are Chad Scott from Las Vegas, Nev., who submitted Cappuccino; Matt Allen from Troy, Ohio, who submitted Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese; Meneko Spigner McBeth from Deptford, N.J., who submitted Wasabi Ginger; and Julia Stanley-Metz from Sacramento, Calif., who submitted Mango Salsa. This week, the four finalists joined the Lay’s brand in New York City where they officially unveiled their flavors in a dramatic moment broadcast on big screens high above Times Square. Following the reveal, all four finalists distributed the first free samples of their flavors from a 24-foot all-electric Frito-Lay delivery truck.
As the finalists now return to their hometowns, their local communities are gearing up for special events to celebrate each finalist’s success and kick-off the voting phase of the contest.
About the finalists
To submit a flavor idea for the “Do Us A Flavor” contest, fans were asked to provide their name, flavor name, up to three possible ingredients, the chip style and a 140-character description or inspiration for their flavor. In alphabetical order by flavor name, the finalists are:
• Lay’s Cappuccino: Chad Scott spends his days as a visiting lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and nights working toward his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Constantly inspired and fueled by his local baristas’ concoctions, and as a longtime lover of potato chips, Scott submitted the idea of a cappuccino-flavored Lay’s potato chip. Important to note, Lay’s Cappuccino flavored potato chips do not contain coffee or caffeine.
• Lay’s Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese: Matt Allen just landed his dream job as a full-time firefighter. When it was his turn to cook the “family meal” at the firehouse during training, Allen knew exactly the way to his team’s hearts and stomachs. His specialty bacon mac and cheese was a huge hit, and now all of America can get a taste of this Ohio firehouse favorite on a potato chip.
• Lay’s Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger: Meneko Spigner McBeth is a registered nurse with a passion for sushi that started when she was just a little girl, eating handmade rolls by her grandmother. Over the years, her affinity for spicy foods and tastes, like wasabi, only grew, inspiring this potato chip flavor.
• Lay’s Wavy Mango Salsa: Julia Stanley-Metz credits most of her culinary creations to her husband, Rick, who loves to experiment with exotic flavors and ingredients. She and her family have Taco Tuesday every week, taking fresh ingredients from the garden to create her perfected mango salsa recipe—now on a chip.
As part of this year’s contest, a judging panel made up of chefs, foodies and flavor experts narrowed down the contest submissions to four finalist flavors. The three runner-up finalists each will win $50,000 in prize money, with the grand prize winner taking home $1 million or one percent of their flavor’s net sales through July 1, 2015, (whichever is higher).
