Cheetos’ launches limited edition fashionably functional pants

Cheetos (smartly) waited until April Fools’ Day was a distant memory before releasing its iteration of “snack couture,” as fans might think this perfectly cheesy product launch is too good to be true.

On April 7, the Frito-Lay brand announced the arrival of Cheetos Pants, an amalgamation of fashion, function and fromage, designed to accommodate napkin-less fans faced with the distressing scenario of having nowhere to wipe their cheese-covered fingers after chowing down on their favourite (and famously messy) snack.

Created in collaboration with Impact BBDO in the Middle East and BBDO New York, some of the most notable design elements of the trousers are its bright orange colour, which match that of the beloved corn-cheese puffs, pockets to accommodate both small and larger bags of the product and the towel-like fabric patches on each leg to collect remnants of the carnage, affectionately known as “Cheetle.” (It might be advisable to avoid including anything else in the wash with these and/or spaces where close contact with humans or wild animals are unavoidable.)

The limited quantity item is available in sizes XXS-3XL through Cheetospants.com (at press time, the free item was nearly “sold out”), but fans not quick enough to scoop a pair will be able to access a global collection of similarly coloured pants sourced from other designers and brands through the site once they’re completely out of stock.

To promote the launch of the pants, the brand launched a video featuring designers it consulted with to ensure they were both “fashionable and practical.” The somewhat amused and utterly game designers include sportswear brand Siegelman Stable founder Max Siegelman and creative director, Karoline Spenning; designer of his eponymous label, Kenneth Cole and women’s creative director, Emily Cole; and Malaysian fashion designer Zang Toi, whose House of Toi creations cater to a wealthy clientele and was featured on Bravo’s Real Housewives of New York. (Full disclosure: This author formerly worked as an intern in the designer’s showroom.)

“Gone are the days when I had to type a quote with my delicious Cheetle-covered fingers and subsequently lick my keyboard,” said Impact BBDO’s CCO, Ali Rez. “Now, we have the dignified solution the world needed: Cheetos Pants. What a time to be alive when we see the world of high-fashion design collide with the world of snacking, much like millions of fingers will now meet the Cheetos pants head-on to brush them clean.” 

Speaking of typing with orange-coloured digits, Cheetos is no stranger to leaving its competition in the proverbial dust by creating unusual and accessible products to aid its snack-addled fans. The brand previously launched The Other Hand Font on National Handwriting Day, a downloadable font designed by Goodby Silverstein & Partners’ founder Rich Silverstein and his team at Silverstein Goodby & Partners (SG&P), the design arm of the agency. The team shared a hilarious mockumentary-style video about the making of the so-called “typography world disruptor,” designed to allow people who use their dominant hand to indulge in the snack to function—albeit awkwardly.