Why did Tostitos select Kirk Cousins to be a part of its Super Bowl Instagram strategy

The Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins is the face of Tostitos’ Super Bowl campaign to engage football fans.

To elevate its one-of-a-kind Vegas-inspired menu, the brand has launched a campaign titled Tost by Tostitos, intending to pay tribute to the magnificence and theatrics of Las Vegas. With this initiative, the brand aims to provide its fans with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have Kirk Cousins prepare and serve their meal.

Kristin Kroepfl, VP of Marketing at Frito-Lay, stated that they chose Kirk Cousins to be the face of its advertising campaign primarily because Cousins grew up eating Tostitos and has expressed that Tostitos are one of his favorite snacks when watching football. With him, the brand aims to raise awareness that it will have a presence at the Super Bowl

“We want consumers everywhere to know that Tostitos is the official chip & dip of the NFL and that no game spread is complete without it,” she said. “It’s not always about just eating them straight out of the bag. That’s why we’re taking Tostitos beyond the chip bag and transforming it into one-of-a-kind culinary creations that fans will be wowed by at Tost by Tostitos.”

As part of the sweepstakes announcement, both parties took to Instagram on January 18th. Tostitos’ TikTok account published the video the same day, and it has already garnered over 58,000 views. During the Super Bowl, Tostitos does not plan to advertise on X, previously known as Twitter.

“With Instagram, we can engage directly with Tostitos fans, and this is just one way of doing that,” she said. “We’re already seeing some really fun and delicious recipes that fans are asking to be served by Kirk.”

To participate, fans need to follow the brand on Instagram, like the Cousins and Tostitos collaboration post, and comment their favorite game day dish using #TostbyTostitos and #Entry. The brand will select only one fan to win the jackpot since Kirk’s shift time is a secret. The jackpot includes tickets to Super Bowl LVIII, travel and accommodations to Las Vegas, and Kirk’s VIP reservation at Tost by Tostitos. 

Additionally, Frito-Lay is adding an immersive fan experience at the Frito-Lay Chip Strip in Las Vegas. Fans can enter the Frito-Lay Snackpot at the New York, New York Hotel from Feb. 8 through Feb. 11.
Brand activations become more innovative and captivating as the Super Bowl approaches. Brands like Tostitos are not alone. For the second consecutive year, Digiorno will honor “Doinks” during the Big Game by providing complimentary pizza to football fans. Meanwhile, Wendy’s has launched “All-Out Baconator Blitz,” offering an exclusive Baconator-sized deal through DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub.

“By bringing together Kirk Cousins and Tostitos with this marketing activation, it employs a relatable touch point for consumers looking to elevate their Super Bowl snacking, without trying too hard,” said Molly Barth, Senior Cultural Strategist at Sparks & Honey. “While bringing in a professional chef might ‘make more sense,’ Cousins serving up high end dishes adds an air of levity and approachability.”