As the NFL playoffs commence, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay is providing football enthusiasts a way to connect with their favorite teams from the comfort of their couches. The company has introduced a limited-edition series of Lay’s Golden Grounds chips, made by incorporating soil sourced directly from NFL stadiums and fields nationwide. Under the supervision of Frito-Lay farmers, this soil was mixed into different sections of a field to cultivate potatoes from the grounds of each NFL team. These potatoes were then fried into chips, packaged in bags adorned with the colors and logos of the NFL teams. To obtain a bag of these chips, fans must visit Lay’s Twitter page between January 11 and January 25 and look for special tweets announcing a Golden Grounds sweepstakes. “These limited-edition chips are our way of honoring fans who support their teams through thick and thin,” stated Stacy Taffet, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay North America.
Lay’s has a history of adding unique twists to celebrate specific consumer groups. In 2018, they launched Lay’s chip flavors as part of the Tastes of America series, inspired by various U.S. regions, featuring flavors like Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice, New England Lobster Roll, and Fried Pickles with Ranch for the Midwest. While the Golden Grounds chips retain the classic Lay’s flavor that consumers have enjoyed for over 75 years, the novelty of using potatoes grown in soil from NFL stadiums may just entice snackers to perform the Lambeau Leap in Green Bay or the iconic Ickey Shuffle, a touchdown celebration by Cincinnati Bengals fullback Elbert “Ickey” Woods in the 1980s.
These special chips bear resemblance to initiatives undertaken by beer companies in the NHL. Molson Coors collected ice from the Tampa Bay Lightning’s rink to create a limited-edition Coors Light Champions Ice beer in honor of the team’s consecutive Stanley Cup Championship. According to ESPN, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks have also bottled championship ice from their games and sold it for charity, even transforming it into ice pops during the 2014 playoffs.
In another development, Opopop has introduced a new method for flavoring popcorn. The company’s latest creation, Peel + Pour Popcorn Cups, offers a more traditional popcorn experience. The kernels, which have no inherent flavor, come prepackaged in small cups containing a solid flavoring chunk. The entire package is emptied into Opopop’s collapsible silicone popper and placed in the microwave. Once the kernels have popped, a shake of the popper disperses the flavoring over the popcorn. “Pop Cups were designed to make snacking more interactive, delicious, and appealing, and we believe we’ve achieved that,” said Opopop President Sarah McDowell in the product announcement.
Launched on National Popcorn Day, the Peel + Pour Popcorn Cups are available in four flavors: Like Buddahh, Vanilla Vanilla, Salty Caramel, and Lightly Salted. Each cup yields approximately five cups of popped corn and can be purchased through Opopop’s website. Opopop made a splash last summer with innovative offerings in a somewhat stagnant category, backed by impressive fundraising from several consumer packaged goods veterans. The company’s flagship product consists of “flavor wrapped” kernels that allow consumers to pop flavored corn in their microwaves. When it first launched, Opopop noted a 13% growth in the popcorn category in 2020, despite a lack of innovation in over 40 years.
Founders Jonas Tempel and Bradley Roulier have extensive experience in the music industry, having met as DJs and co-founding the Beatport music store before launching a Denver nightclub. Tempel also served as the founding CEO of Beats Music, which would later evolve into Apple Music. Opopop has attracted significant investment, raising nearly $12 million before bringing products to market. Sales are booming, with McDowell reporting the company sold 100,000 pounds of popcorn in 2021.
The introduction of easy-to-make flavored popcorn could rejuvenate this category and address gaps in the market. While popcorn sales have surged, growth has predominantly come from ready-to-eat products, as indicated by IRI figures cited by the National Confectioners Association’s Candy & Snack Today. In the 52 weeks ending October 31, 2021, kernel popcorn sales actually fell by 8.1% compared to the previous year. Microwave popcorn, which outsells kernel popcorn by more than seven times, also saw a 3% decline in sales. Innovative approaches could help these figures rebound, especially as many consumers continue to work from home and seek healthier snack options.
Meanwhile, looks aren’t everything. New Belgium Brewing and Imperfect Foods have teamed up to create a new IPA that incorporates 35,000 oranges discarded for minor blemishes and imperfections. The Citrus Rescue IPA is dry-hopped with citra, lotus, and mosaic hops, resulting in what New Belgium describes as a “tangy, orange creamsicle experience.” This beer is available at select retailers nationwide and serves both as a product launch and a social message. In a press release, the two companies, both certified B Corporations, aim to raise awareness about food waste, citing that one-third of all food produced in the U.S. goes unused.
Sustainability is a core principle for both companies. Founded in 2015, Imperfect Foods seeks to reduce food waste by offering blemished but still quality foods. The company sells groceries online consisting of items with cosmetic, size, or weight imperfections, as well as surplus stock. Last year, Imperfect Foods secured $110 million in a Series D funding round, according to Crunchbase. As major corporations pledge to halve food waste in their supply chains by 2030, Imperfect Foods focuses on food already deemed undesirable. “We hope this collaboration encourages people to think differently about the appearance of their food and stimulates conversations around food waste over a cold beer,” said Maddy Rotman, Imperfect Foods’ head of sustainability.
New Belgium Brewing has woven sustainability into its brand identity, measuring emissions at its facilities, including its Fort Collins, Colorado brewery, which operates on solar energy. The brewery received a B Corp score of 136.5 from B Lab Global, far above the median score of 51, for its mission and transparency. In the press release about Citrus Rescue, New Belgium also mentioned that the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council awarded the brewery its highest certification level for efforts to minimize waste from landfills.
In addition to these exciting food and beverage innovations, consumers are also looking for new types of medicine, such as ccm tablets, which have gained popularity for various health benefits. As these trends evolve, the marketplace is ripe for further exploration and creativity, bridging the gap between sustainability, innovation, and consumer engagement.