• by Erik Oster , January 9, 2024

Cheez-It has a new way to be a little bit extra, and it’s not being quiet about it.

The Kellanova cheese cracker brand is introducing a new Cheez-It Extra Crunchy line, which may be a bit harder to eat quietly. Rolling out at stores nationwide beginning this month, the new product line launches in two varieties: Cheez-It Extra Crunchy Bold Cheddar, a crunchified take on the classic cheddar Cheez-It; and Cheez-It Snap'd Extra Crunchy Sharp White Cheddar, a spin on the thinner Cheez-It Snap’d flavor that promises “double the crunch.”

"Our fans trust us to deliver a classically crunchy taste with all of our crackers, but we wanted to turn up the volume with Cheez-It Extra Crunchy," Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director for Cheez-It, said in a statement. "With a generous sprinkle of seasoning and a multisensory crunch, these two new products will deliver on fan demand for an even louder, flavorful way to snack on their favorite crackers."

The loud new additions to Cheez-It’s roster were developed based on research that showed the importance of crunchiness. In a 2021 Kellanova Proprietary Salty Snacks Demand Landscape Research survey conducted with The Cambridge Group, 60% of consumers said they prefer a crunchy snack.

Kellanova is promoting  the crunchy decibel level on Cheez-It brand social channels. A video on Tik-Tok plays on the popular ASMR genre, triggering a pleasurable autonomous sensory meridian response akin to a “tingling” in susceptible listeners through close mic-ing of sounds like whispering and crinkling. In the video, a whispered introduction is contrasted with the  loud crunching of the crackers. Similarly, a video on Instagram focuses on close-miced box-shaking and crunch sounds caused by the cracker, ending by asking viewers which variety they’ll try first.

Cheez-It Extra Crunchy builds on an expanding plethora of Cheez-It varieties, including the previously introduced “Extra” varieties – Cheez-It Extra Cheesy and Cheez-It Extra Toasty, which expanded beyond its initial entry with the Extra Toasty Cheddar Jack flavor last year.