Cheetos - Promotion and Mascot

Promotion and Mascot

The Cheetos brand is commonly recognized by association with its mascot, an anthropomorphic cartoon cheetah named Chester Cheetah. Chester first appeared in television commercials in 1983 as an animated cartoon character, adopting a sly, smooth-voiced personality. This character became the focus of more Cheetos commercials, eventually becoming the brand's official mascot. Chester has become known for concluding Cheetos advertisements with slogans, which have evolved over time. Chester was preceded by an earlier mascot--the Cheetos Mouse, which debuted in 1971 using the slogans “ Cheese that goes crunch” and "Hail Chee-sar!". The slogan "it ain't easy bein' cheesy" was used in the late 1980s and early 1990s, followed once again by “the cheese that goes crunch” until 1996, when it became “Dangerously cheesy.” In the early 2000s, Chester was first rendered as a computer-generated character in the United States; while continuing to appear in an animated form in some other countries where the brand is sold.

Beginning in 2008, Cheetos advertising and promotion broadened in regards to age appeal, with a revised focus on an adult demographic. In this personification, Chester speaks with a mid-Atlantic accent and encourages people to use their Cheetos in acts of revenge or to solve problems. In February 2009, Cheetos was the subject of its first Super Bowl commercial. In the $3 million, 30 second advertisement, a "loud, chatty woman" is talking on her mobile phone at a restaurant. Chester the Cheetah persuades another customer to toss Cheetos onto the ground, attracting a flock of birds to drive away the obnoxious loud-talking customer. The scenario depicted in this commercial exemplifies the adult-oriented themes of subversion and revenge, which continue to be prevalent in Cheetos advertisements produced since 2008.