Doritos’ Cheeseburger Experiment
I walked into a 7-11 looking to indulge my health food habit, and was sidetracked by a bag of Doritos sparsely decorated with white lettering against a white background: X-13D. The potential eater is invited to taste test, figure out the flavor, and enter a product naming contest online.
A brilliant marketing ploy that I couldn’t resist. After the first chip I felt like the proverbial Violet Beauregarde: is that mustard I taste? Ketchup? Onion? Yes — and pickle, beef, and bun. A cheeseburger!
An interesting experience — not exactly pleasant, but interesting. And the contest website, like the product branding is intriguing, and a great example of the power of participatory marketing. Users can generate clues, advertisements, and enter the contest. Is “Cheeseburger Paradise” too obvious?
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Jason said,
on June 11th, 2007 at 7:47 am
I too was intrigued by the mystery. I even enrolled the people I was with to try a chip and try and reach a consensus. The closest we came was stale tartar sauce. Which leads me to wonder what the marketers do when the participation goes somewhere they never intended? How to involve but make sure the buzz does what it should? I guess in the end the quality of the product might have a little to do with it. Who would have thought?
Wes Alwan said,
on June 11th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Yeah — the quality of the product may trump everything here; and X-13D’s are something I will never try again, whatever the name. Yet is it a marketing victory for Doritos in the long run in terms of visibility? I wonder if they were even looking for a viable new product. They have enough brand recognition that really perhaps they’re just trying to remind you: yes, there are many flavors of Doritos. Most you will avoid. Enjoy.
Tom McAlister said,
on June 20th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
What I am intrigued about is a mainstream marketer that understands the dynamic of a consumer with a blog and a social network facilitated by that blog.