Socially networked show

BRAND :Cheetos
BRAND OWNER: Frito Lay
CATEGORY:Food
REGION: USA
DATE: Feb 2009 - May 2009

Cheetos wanted to target 18-35 year olds just out of college or getting into the real world and associate itself with engaging content that would entertain rather than interrupt. This was part of a wider Cheetos campaign to appeal to adult consumers.
The snack brand teamed up with popular actor Ashton Kutcher to fund a web-series centering around a Hollywood production company, with Kutcher as the boss. It was the first sponsored series to be distributed through a Facebook application, called FunSpace, created by Slide, the largest publisher of entertainment applications.

The idea was that Cheetos could engage with young people in this way in an environment where they were hanging out anyway, with the hope that it created conversations around content.
The series, KatalystHQ, is a “fly-on-the-wall reality” parody about working in Kutcher’s production office and follows the experiences of Katalyst’s staff as they navigate the excitement and perils of corporate life set against a backdrop of the television and film industry. Cheetos are worked into the story lines and given custom-made pre-roll ads. It is available at www.FunSpace.com/KatalystHQ.
The deal echoes that of Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane’s microseries deal with Google.