The annual survey from the snacking giant also reveals that more than 50% of Americans have bonded with friends and family (even the so-called dreaded in-laws) over their mutual love of snacks.
Part of the ritual
And what could be a better time than the Super Bowl LVII on 12 February, which will bring fans together to root for their team, but also to enjoy their favourite snacks.
“The Super Bowl is about more than just football, it’s about spending time with loved ones and snacking has become a big part of that ritual,” said Denise Lefebvre, senior VP of R&D for PepsiCo Foods.
“That’s why we invest in understanding what our consumers want, so they can have the right flavours, variety and snack styles to make their spreads a touchdown everyone can celebrate.”
Frito-Lay’s annual survey sampled a national representative of 2,000 US adults in January to find out what is expected for 2023.
Snack up early
When it comes to planning the perfect Super Bowl gathering, Frito-Lay unearthed key insights to help party hosts.
Nearly half of guests (49%) say that running out of snacks is worse than their team losing the Super Bowl. However, 62% are happy to make the dash for snack refills during commercials than miss any game time.
Nearly a quarter of respondents say the party should start at lunch or earlier, with Millennials (36%) and Gen Z (26%) most eager for an early kickoff
Get creative with your snacks: 71% of guests are keen for new adventures – such as new flavours (50%) or variants to the favourites.
Breaking that down, Millennials (61%) are the most eager to try new flavours, followed by Gen Z (57%) and Gen X (52%).
On the other hand, Boomers (38%) prefer to stick with tried-and-true classics.
Only 3 in 10 Americans have gotten into an argument over snack flavours.
59% of Gen Zs have a love for flavour ‘dust’ – such as the Cheetle that remains on the fingers after diving into a pack of Cheetos.
An overwhelming 95% of Americans say at least some of their Super Bowl dishes will feature snacks served with the dish or as part of the recipe.
The art of bonding
According to Frito-Lay, snacks are the ultimate icebreaker.
In fact, 59% of Americans claim to have bonded over snack preferences with people they often find it difficult to converse with, such as a partner’s friends or family (27%), co-workers (24%) and even strangers in the checkout line (18%).
Gen Z (79%) and Millennials (72%) are the most likely people to have connected with another person over snacks, followed by Gen X (61%) and Boomers (42%).
Frito-Lay at Super Bowl LVII
Frito-Lay is proud to be a part of the celebrations leading up to and during Super Bowl LVII.
Doritos will once again make a big splash with an in-game commercial that encourages fans to ‘Try Another Angle’. In addition, PopCorners is getting the Super Bowl advertising treatment for the first time with an in-game commercial that revives the most critically acclaimed television show of all time, ‘Breaking Bad’.
Tostitos is hosting ts first pop-up restaurant, Tost by Tostitos, to give foodies a front row seat to a new and unexpected way to experience Tostitos, the Official Chip and Dip of the NFL.
Frito-Lay and PepsiCo Beverages began airing their joint ‘Road to Super Bowl’ commercial during playoffs. The road will end in Phoenix at the on-site activation, Route 57, where consumers can snap a selfie next to the ‘World’s Largest Chip’ with a larger-than-life PopCorners-shaped roadside attraction; run across the field at the Cheetos Motel Pool Dive to make a catch into the foam-filled ‘Cheetos’ endzone; and sample bites created by former and current NFL pros at the Lay’s Stay Golden Airstream travel trailer.
In partnership with GENYOUth, a non-profit organisation that creates healthier school communities, Frito-Lay, Quaker and the PepsiCo Foundation is hosting Taste of the NFL, an purpose-driven event that features celeb chefs and NFL players to raise critical funds to help tackle hunger and food insecurity among youth.
