Satisfy Gen Z’s Cravings

Doritos, a popular snack with gamers, turned a common pain point – its annoyingly loud crunch – into a moment of connection with Gen Z. Using AI, the brand launched crunch cancellation software that muted the sound when gamers ate during play. The software was downloaded more than 15,000 times, boosting Doritos sales by $50m. It shows how to align with Gen Z habits to turn brand features into growth opportunities.

Low-budget biscuit brand Voiz seduced Gen Z with weird and wonderful films peppered with oddball humour. They star two eyeballs that turn into life-sized children to relay a message: you can claim you’ll share your Voiz, but the eyes can’t lie. The one-minute short films helped the brand achieve its highest market share since 2018. It shows how quirky storytelling and playful visuals can capture Gen Z’s attention.

Biscuit brand Oreo partnered with Xbox to tap the global gaming community's love for hidden features in ‘Cheat Cookies’. This clever activation introduced six new cookie designs embossed with Xbox controller buttons that gamers could combo on the work’s website to unlock prizes. It shows how to use nostalgic cultural codes to drive engagement: the brand's engagement rate reached 5.8%.

To reignite Gen Z’s interest in the Japanese snack wagashi, the brand partnered with a publisher, pairing the sweet with classic Japanese novels. With each wagashi crafted to enhance specific passages, the result was a multisensory experience, earning the first run a sellout in three weeks and generating nearly US$600,000 in media coverage. It’s an example of blending tradition with fresh aesthetics to entice experience-driven young audiences.

Pop-Tarts wanted to expand beyond breakfast by positioning itself as a fun snack for all occasions. So to mark its first college football sponsorship, it launched an ‘unhinged’ edible mascot. Achieving more than 4bn impressions leading to its highest category share of 2023, it shows how to lean into the internet’s absurdity. “We tried to keep in mind that the internet can always be more funny than we can be as a brand,” Jeff Immel, Chief Creative Officer at Weber Shandwick, Chicago, told LIONS Intelligence.

Frito-Lay needed a partnership fiery enough to match its Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to appeal to Gen Z. So it teamed up with American rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion, who released a full-length single honouring her favourite snacks, attracting more than 4bn earned impressions. Speaking in a session with Frito-Lay and long-term agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners at Cannes Lions 2022, Megan Thee Stallion said: “I had barely any rules. I was able to be me, which is why my fans still listen to the song.”