Non-player characters (NPCs) are typically meant to fade into the background of most video games, but Doritos’ latest merch drop is aimed at helping them stand out and look their best.
To support Doritos Tangy All Dressed flavoured tortilla chips, the CPG has created five limited-edition looks with Markantoine Lynch-Boisvert, a Montrealer known for elevated skatewear designs and his appearance on Amazon fashion reality show, Making the Cut.
For two months, the collection can be spotted in Doritos Drip City, a custom map in Fortnite. Accompanying creative is urging buyers to “try another angle.”
“Gaming culture has become a part of everyday life, where we’re seeing it in popular culture whether in movies, fashion, and music,” says Lisa Allie, senior marketing director at PepsiCo Foods Canada. “In particular, with Gen Z showing a huge amount of interest in gaming over recent years, we’ve seen the opportunities for unique gaming integrations grow exponentially.”
Allie tells strategy that as a brand, gaming has provided many opportunities for Doritos to experiment, and that the brand takes pride in knowing who its fans are and aligning itself with their interests.
“No matter where we’re showing up, whether it’s on a streaming platform, in a Valentine’s [Doritos Ketchup] bouquet, or in a custom map in an iconic video game, we are always striving to do so in a way that’s unexpected and that looks at culture from a unique perspective.”
According to Allie, Doritos fans have their go-to favourite chips, but are also looking for what is new and exciting.
“Delivering unexpected flavours and twists on classics like the Tangy All Dressed limited-time offering gives our fans something new to discover,” she says.
In addition to content on TikTok, Twitch, Instagram and YouTube, the brand also hosted a Twitch stream with popular Canadian gamer NickEh30. The campaign also includes 3D out-of-home creative at Toronto’s Yonge Dundas Square.
BBDO handled creative, Pixel Hunters developed the custom map on Fortnite and Astral built the 3D OOH. OMD is on media, Citizen is supporting PR efforts and Praxis is handling social media.
