Larsen Idealog

got x-13D?

 
In the grand Pepsi Family tradition of innovation, Frito-Lay has again wowed the chip eating public with something new. Dorito's Flavor X-13D is currently on the shelves in grocery stores nationwide, and causing a buzz. At least it is in our office. The new flavor is an 'experiment' created by Doritos and is currently unnamed. X-13D is its code-name. As we passed a bag around the office we discussed the subtle nuances of its flavor and bouquet. "I'm getting some dill." "It has a strange mustard-like finish." "Let me try another one."

I mentioned Pepsi because I think it's interesting that the 'innovation' strategy is shared by a great number of PepsiCo owned brands, Frito-Lay being one of them. Historically Pepsi-cola has differentiated itself in the market place, and against Coca-Cola, by creating new 'innovative' products. A full list can be found at Wikipedia. This strategy can be traced back to the 1965 merger of Pepsi and Frito-Lay, which created PepsiCo. It was at this time that Pepsi was able to capitalize on Frito-Lay's highly developed retail distribution system, and the merger is credited with the large gains in market share acquired by Pepsi in the early 1980s.

Coke has also done it's fair share of innovation, but it is not as much a part of the brand as it is with Pepsi. Nor have Coke's innovations been as well received, remember New Coke and OK Soda? You may remember OK Soda as the mid-nineties experiment by Coca-Cola to test the marketability/penetration of a new brand of cola. Many, if not all, of the cans and promotional materials were designed by the Fantagraphics illustrators Daniel Clowes and Charles Burns. While the cola failed in numerous test markets it has gone on to gain cult status and many of the cans are now collectors items. Not surprisingly the same man behind New Coke had developed OK Soda.

Back to the chips. As a part of the launch, Frito-Lay is offering to let the public name this new flavor. We at Larsen already have a few ideas but I won't reveal them here, you'll just have to experience it for yourself.

I noticed a URL on the back of the bag and decided to check it out. I found a snazzy little Flash site under the name Snack Strong Productions had been created as a repository of all the chip-related fun. I don't know if this site had existed before the Flavor X-13D Experiment, but it will seemingly carry future Doritos promotions. The site makes use of Flash and video-type effects and looks quite nice. However, the navigational aspects and the organization of the sections is frustrating and content is very light. Surprisingly, you must link out to the Flavor Experiment X-13D site from Snack Strong. Wouldn't it have made more sense to drive the viewer directly to the product specific site rather than routing them through an ancillary 'portal' which is light on content anyway? Yes and no. I'm sure in the eyes of Doritos, if they plan to use it for future promotions, it makes sense to route the buzz of X-13D through Snack Strong to promote awareness. But from the consumer end it's a hurdle to accessing the content that made them type the URL into the browser in the first place.

Once you reach the X-13D site, you realize that it is quite light in content as well. There is a game based 'clue generator' which gives a small bit of insight to the flavor after you've clicked a few buttons and pulled a few knobs, a field where you can enter your name suggestions and an 'ad generator'. Where's the intrigue? Where's the secret military bunker pay-off? The tortilla chip equivalent of Area 51!? Or was that all part of the Snack Strong site? I don't know. And it's not worth my time to investigate because Frito-lay certainly didn't put much effort into it.

An infinitely better example of this type of site is Get the Glass, a game-based site created in conjunction with the 'got milk?' campaign for the California Milk Processor Board. Stunning visual effects, beautifully designed and it's actually engaging. Really engaging. It took me almost an hour to complete the game (after work of course). It was one of the most enjoyable hours I think I've ever spent on the internet. Unlike Snack Strong, Get the Glass has a story behind it. It has a beginning, a middle and an end, not just in the plot of the game but in viewer engagement as well. It brings the viewer into the site a bit at a time, and allows them to 'learn' the site every step of the way. It has good guys and bad guys. It's informative, and most importantly it's fun. If it wasn't fun it certainly wouldn't have snagged an hour of my life.

So while Doritos snagged me with their secret X-13D formula, investigating it further left me wanting a little bit more for my efforts.