As a demonstration in real life that Cheetos is an ingredient for fun, we opened

the world’s first and only fully immersive, all-Cheetos pop-up restaurant. The

Spotted Cheetah was a full 360º campaign executed through owned, earned and

paid channels. The restaurant opened in Tribeca for three nights only during

NYC Restaurant Week to serve fans an unexpected Cheetos-infused experience.

While The Spotted Cheetah’s doors were only opened in New York, the goal was

to get the word and excitement to spread nationally.

The Spotted Cheetah was engineered from top to bottom to be a PR & social

media machine:

A partnership with celebrity chef Anne Burrell was the centerpiece to grant

legitimacy to the menu and overall experience, while also leveraging her

newsworthiness.

We launched with a series of teaser posts, followed by a digital spot featuring

Chef Burrell and brand mascot Chester Cheetah, driving fans to either 1) make a

reservation or 2) download a cookbook if they were outside New York City.

A mobile-first website modeled after traditional restaurant sites housed our

OpenTable integration for reservations.

The restaurant was fully designed — from the tableware to the wall art to the

toilet “paw-per” — to bring to life all things Cheetos.

A motion-capture rig and two-way cameras allowed an actor playing the first-ever

interactive digital Chester to greet guests live, setting a playful tone for the

experience.

1. Generate buzz and stay top of mind:

• Over 4.1 billion earned PR impressions — the most talked-about

program in the brand’s history, nearly tripling the goal.

• 3,413 earned news placements in print, online, and broadcast —

double what was anticipated.

• 630 million earned social media impressions — twice the

benchmark.

2. Grow the business: The engagement carried through to stores, with a 7.6%

sales lift during the program timeframe and immediately following.

3. Sell out the restaurant:

• All 500 tables booked in under six hours.

• Over 8,000 tables waitlisted by hopeful consumers; Some begged or

offered bribes in voicemails.

• 12,000 cookbooks downloaded.