Cheetos was looking for an exciting program that would increase consumption within its adult Gen Z fan base (ages 18–25) by introducing a brand-new usage occasion beyond the crowded snacking space.

Through research, we found a natural insight that our target audience was crushing up Cheetos into a cheesy dust (officially known as “Cheetle”) and using it as an ingredient in their meals. We saw the perfect opportunity to take this trend to cheesier new heights by developing a groundbreaking product that would revolutionize cooking with Cheetle, forever! Introducing the Cheetos Duster—the first-ever kitchen device dedicated to making Cheetle.

Our target audience was adult Gen Z (ages 18–25) who were already fans of Cheetos. In order to increase their Cheetos consumption beyond snacking, we needed to create a program that wasn't only disruptive and fun, but also authentic and relevant. So, we took our audience’s natural trend of using Cheetle in their recipes to the next level by developing the Cheetos Duster, a device exclusively sold where our audience naturally shops—Amazon.com. We designed everything in the campaign with our audience in mind—from the box to all the cheesy details—creating an engaging program and seamless customer journey that optimized multiple touchpoints on and off Amazon. We even played off the Gen Z love of nostalgia by creating an over-the-top infomercial parody that drew inspiration from late 90’s commercials.

We developed the Cheetos Duster to be the perfect device for making Cheetle. From the Cheetle fingerprints on the glass of the blender to the never-ending recipe list on the box to the dangerously cheesy details on the instruction manual, every facet of the product and campaign was carefully crafted. To help get the word out, we created a 90-second infomercial parody touting the wonders of the Cheetos Duster, complete with multiple cutdowns, as well as six original Cheetle-cooking recipes, such as Cheetos Poutine and Flamin’ Hot Donuts. We promoted all creative content across multiple Amazon touchpoints—StreamingTV, FireTV (with custom landing page), IMDb.com, Online Video, Display media on-and-off Amazon, and social—each driving to the Cheetos Duster Amazon Brand Store and complementary Recipe Hub. We launched as an exclusive, all-new product (bundled with Cheetos bags) on Black Friday for just $19.95.

The Cheetos Duster program was extremely successful. Coverage resulted in 443 press mentions and 12.7 billion earned impressions, beating our impression KPI by 25x. Publications included Adweek, Food & Wine, Rolling Stone, and Forbes, as well as recognition in global markets like the UK, France, Hong Kong, and Israel. The Cheetos Duster sold out in just two hours, becoming the #1 Mixer/Blender on Amazon on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. Sales resulted in 38% New-To-Brand purchases, a 149% increase in Year-Over-Year Sales, and even listings on eBay for up to 9x the original sale price. In measuring the brand impact on our target audience with a brand lift study, we saw a positive lift between 7%–10% in ad awareness and recipe association. Due to the program's success, the Cheetos Duster will be mass-produced and sold at major retailers starting Fall 2023.