Earlier this year, Lay’s announced that it was bringing back the Do Us a Flavor contest that took the Internet by flavorful storm in 2012 and eventually gave one lucky country Cheesy Garlic Bread chips. While I would still prefer actual garlic bread to potato chips, it was finally time for people in America who purchase those bags of air to once again rack their brains for new flavors that we’d love, even though Sriracha was right there, staring every Lay’s executive in the face, and would have made the best bag of chips ever. Naturally, as we all thoroughly enjoyed, people had a blast using the Lay’s app to develop the worst flavors they could come up with. My vote is still for “Hickory-Smoked Horse Buttholes.”
In the end, though, the big winner was Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger, submitted by New Jersey nurse Meneko Spigner McBeth, who is now a cool million dollars (or a predetermined percentage of sales) richer. The bizarre idea beat out the other three flavor ideas – Wavy Mango Salsa, Cappuccino and Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese. Normally, this is where I’d express my outrage over Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese not winning, because that meal is probably one of the things I’d ask for on death row, but again… I’d rather have the real thing. According to CNBC, though, more than 1 million Americans voted and ultimately chose Wasabi Ginger as the new Lay’s flavor, no matter how disgusting it sounds.
Ram Krishnan, Frito-Lay’s chief marketing officer, said this year’s winner is evidence Americans want more ethnic flavors, even though the top four Lay’s flavors remain Original, Barbecue, Cheddar & Sour Cream and Sour Cream & Onion. He said he couldn’t have imagined Lay’s selling a Wasabi Ginger flavor when he joined the company eight years ago.
“We’re kind of getting into a new flavor territory,” Krishnan said. “When I went to school, Mexican food was exotic.”
As for the cappuccino flavor—which was described as “NASTY” and “gross” in some comments on Lay’s Facebook page—Krishnan defended its performance, although he wouldn’t say how many votes it got.
“The fact that it made it out of our selection process to make it to the final four is no small feat,” he said. (Via CNBC)
The people who came up with the other three finalist flavors received $50,000 each for their efforts, so it might be worth it to enter one serious idea next year, but only after you recommend your joke flavors like “farts in a hot car,” “Louie Anderson’s undershirt” and, of course…