• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, February 5, 2025

Now that PepsiCo’s usual suspect brands have revealed their Super Bowl ad plans, the company is rolling out branded experiences, designed to welcome throngs of visitors to New Orleans with a “Chips & Sips Quarter.”  

The CPG giant is hosting a series of Louisiana-themed food, drinks, music and experiences, including the Doritos Snack-Too Parlour, where consumers can receive seasonal and permanent snack–inspired tattoos designed by local artists.  

With the Tostitos Armchair Quarterback, two fans sit in oversized armchairs that operate like a mechanical bull. Participants will be asked Super Bowl trivia while throwing footballs at a target that functions as the answer button.  

Then there’s the Cheetos House of Mischief, with mascot Chester leading an immersive group psychic reading and custom Cheetos Tarot Cards.

Potato chips get their moment in the sun with Lay’s Craw-Chip Boil, featuring Lay’s chips infused in classic New Orleans-inspired dishes, including Lay’s Classic Chicken Gumbo and Lay’s Salt and Vinegar Cool Shrimp Creole.  

Lay's is one of hundreds of brands hoping to capture fan enthusiasm. New Orleans officials estimate 200,000 are heading to the city to celebrate -- about twice as many as in a typical week. Among the biggest draws: A Super Bowl parade, Mardi Gras-style, through the French Quarter, featuring plenty of music and the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Security continues to be a big concern, with residents and attendees still on edge about the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street, which killed 14 people.

Separately, the company revealed the game-day spot for Lay’s, a sweet look at a young potato farmer, hoping her spuds make the potato-chip big time. This marks the brand’s first return to the game since 2022, the same year PepsiCo gave up on sponsoring the game’s halftime shows.

Meanwhile, Lay’s continues to deal with the fallout from a recall, first issued in mid-December. While the number of products included in the allergen-related recall is small -- about 6,000 bags of chips in Washington and Oregon, and the company says the product has been removed from the marketplace -- the Food & Drug Administration last week upgraded the recall to the highest risk level, warning it could “cause serious adverse health consequences or death" to those with milk allergies.