If we were to ask what kind of brands you would expect to see at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), which would you think of? Prada, Gucci, Chanel – the usual participators in the historically reserved event. But this year, Cheetos is trailblazing a path to the catwalk for their very own Chester Cheetah.
The Cheetos House of Flamin’ Haute put on its first-ever runway show on September 5 and introduced a NYFW-exclusive collection highlighting Cheetos-inspired fashion and beauty, with activations lasting until September 8. And if that sounds cheesy to you, read on.
Focus on the Fans
To better connect to their fans, Cheetos has really leaned into user-generated content. The brand intends on utilizing fan-created content that has been inspired by the deliciously cheesy, and occasionally painfully spicy, snack. Similarly, that content will serve as inspiration for the collection – whether that’s hair, art, makeup, fashion, or fun recipes. To promote more engagement, the House of Flamin’ Haute gave select guests a Cheetos-themed makeover. Supporters of the snack could also win a chance to go to NYFW by posting their own flamin’ hot looks.
User-generated content has proven to be a successful strategy for brands, as consumers are often more willing to trust others in their social community than the brands themselves. This approach has shown more earned media, a stronger SEO, and not to mention, it’s incredibly cost-effective. All that sounds like a sweet deal to us – but did it pay off for Cheetos?
Spicy Social Strategy
The campaign hashtags #CheetosFlaminHaute and #MyCheetosLook document the event, with posts showing the pop-up shop and beauty makeovers. This is despite low engagement with the brand last week, which saw a total of 20 posts for both hashtags. They also enlisted the help of social media influencers to post about their presence at the event. Overall, it looks like Cheetos’s event worked to push their name into the spotlight and build some brand loyalty with fans. You can be sure that brands will continue to take advantage of the great publicity, so we wish any other brands who try to make their way onto the NYFW stage gouda luck!