“Have you ever looked at West 57th Street in New York and thought, ‘Hey, that triangular building looks like a Doritos chip’?”
While no, this reporter has never made such an observation, it appears that Doritos and its parent company Frito-Lay hope that New Yorkers who stop by this Hell’s Kitchen, Bjarke Ingels designed landmark for the next two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) will make the connection. The snacking giant installed lights at triangular-shaped VIA57 to fashion the West Side residential building into a giant orange chip, unveiled Wednesday evening as a part of the brand’s “Triangle Tracker” interactive ad campaign.
“Doritos has always been known for its iconic, bold flavors, but this year we’re leaning into another part of Doritos: its iconic triangular shape,” said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay North America. “What better way to engage our creative fanbase than by encouraging them to think of Doritos whenever they see a triangle in the real world?”
“Open your eyes to the triangles in the world 👀🔺” beckons the brand’s slightly unsettling invitation to join the Illuminati download their augmented reality Snapchat filter. Those invested in potentially committing to a chip-fueled cult can use the app to geo-locate and scan triangles around New York, Atlanta and Memphis to win prizes from selected partner brands — like a custom controller skin from Xbox, a Doritos-branded concert kit from Vivid Seats, and most importantly, a limited edition Dorito’s-themed jean jacket from GUESS Originals. Did we mention that you are joining a cult…
Unsurprisingly, there is also a TikTok challenge where users record Doritos installations like the VIA57 as well as their own “coolest triangles in the world” for the chance to win cash. The TikTok challenges will drop weekly every Wednesday through September, so be sure to keep an eye out in case the Flatiron Building becomes a giant Cool Ranch Dorito.
But before we get as sharp as a Doritos’ edge on the roof of your mouth, it must be mentioned that the grand prize is $250,000 — which will buy you roughly 62,500 bags of Doritos. Snack lovers should head over to 11th Avenue before the installation disappears — but please, don’t try to take a bite of the building and “dip” it into the Hudson.
