Doritos Has Created the World’s First AI-Augmented Snack

Doritos and PepsiCo’s in-house agency, Sips & Bites, have today unveiled 'Doritos Silent' the world’s first AI augmented snack - powered by Crunch Cancellation. A technology that cancels the Doritos crunch for fellow gamers in real time as they game with each other, the launch not only solves a genuine consumer tension, but helps to cement Doritos as a top choice for gamers. A teaser launch of a new “Doritos Silent” product fed off natural intrigue, with the disruptive image of a Dorito in an ear across OOH and digital intensifying speculation, before the Doritos Crunch Cancellation technology was revealed. 

Snacking and gaming are synonymous, with 86% of gamers claiming they tuck into a snack whilst playing . Doritos crunch and bold flavours has become popular amongst gamers, with consumers more likely to be gaming whilst eating Doritos compared to other salty snacks . Yet Doritos research has uncovered that many gamers are put off by the sound of other players snacking. A third (35%) of gamers claim the sound of someone snacking frustrates them when playing, while one in five (18%) gamers saying the sound makes them want to log off, with crisps identified as the worst audio culprit . 

To cement Doritos as a top choice for gamers by allowing them to enjoy the crunch without distracting fellow players, Doritos  and Sips & Bites have created the first ever silent chip, Doritos Silent: delivering the same crunch, but with no sound. Powered by the innovative Crunch Cancellation technology, the sound of someone’s voice is separated in real time from the noise of the Doritos crunch. The AI then stops the crunch audio from being sent down the microphone – meaning all PC gamers can enjoy that famous crunch without it distracting them and their squad from winning. 

Doritos collaborated with leading software developers, Smooth Technology, to create the world’s first AI augmented chip. Taking half a year to develop, the process involved the technical analysis of more than 5,000 thousand different Doritos crunch sounds to create a database. From these recordings, Doritos Crunch Cancellation technology then utilises AI learning audio driver technology to allow gamers to enjoy their Doritos without interrupting their playing experience. 

The campaign kicked off by teasing the launch of a Doritos Silent “product”, with attention-grabbing

adverts at 4 high footfall OOH locations. Shown at Piccadilly Circus, Mare St (Hackney), Liverpool and Birmingham as well as across digital, it featured a divisive creative of a Doritos chip placed in an ear alongside the tag: “You won’t hear it coming”. A microsite continued to tease gamers, inviting them to cancel the crunch.

Digital and social content finally revealed the AI-augmented product, showcasing the technology in action for two gamers. The ad signs off with a ‘Game on, Crunch off’ tagline. The campaign was produced by Sips & Bites and OB management, shot by Josh Cohen and Lillie Eiger. Consumer PR activity was run by Splendid Comms, while OMD managed the media buying.

Matt Watson, executive creative director for Sips & Bites, at PepsiCo, says, “Our Crunch Cancellation tech delivers an entirely new snacking experience to gamers - the “Doritos Silent” experience. What we loved is how the concept is so intriguing to people; how on earth can you silence the iconic crunch of a Doritos? It’s this immediate curiosity that was the spark behind our big idea as we teased a new Doritos Silent “product”.  People immediately asked “what?” and “how?” and the disruptive image of an actual Dorito in an ear escalated the buzz, before we revealed it to be the world’s first AI Augmented Silent Snack. By silencing one of our biggest assets, we made it even louder.”

Karina Stoltz, senior brand manager at Doritos, says, “Gaming is a massive industry worth over £7bn , and is particularly enjoyed by Gen Z  - a key demographic for Doritos. We know that the nation loves the satisfying crunch of Doritos, but listening to someone else enjoy them can be off-putting, particularly when concentrating while gaming. This concept isn’t a gimmick – it’s the real deal. The campaign aims to provoke immediate buzz and asks the questions, ‘how is it possible to silence the famous Doritos crunch’? ‘Crunch Cancellation’ software is simple to use and can identify over three million crunches in real time and silences them from travelling down the microphone.”

The brand-new software can be downloaded for free by heading to Doritos.co.uk/SILENT. It takes a few simple clicks to install and works exclusively with PCs. Once activated, play with friends and the software will eliminate all traces of Doritos crunching.