This Is The Song In Flamin' Hot's Super Bowl 2022 Commercial
Frito-Lay is entering the Super Bowl commercial game this year with a lot more heat. For the first time ever, the Flamin' Hot flavor variety is getting the spotlight, per People. Most are familiar with Flamin' Hot Cheetos and the signature neon-red dust that stains fingers after every snack, but now folks can enjoy — or loathe — the flavor on more products than ever before.
According to Eater, Frito-Lay has greatly expanded the Flamin' Hot line to Doritos, Funyuns, Lay's potato chips, Lay's Kettle Cooked chips, Ruffles, Smartfood popcorn, and, horrifyingly enough, Mountain Dew. With a huge expansion in snack varieties, the Super Bowl is a perfect stage to get the word out, especially when you have star power in the mix.
Getting a jump on promotion in mid-January, Frito-Lay teased Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth for their Super Bowl promo in clips posted to the Cheetos and Doritos YouTube pages. They hinted at the artists being paired with a variety of wild animals, and now, we can check out the spot early. In the name of Flamin' Hot flavor, Megan and Puth are covering a late '80s classic and snacking with some pals.
Frito Lay is pushing Cheetos and Doritos real good
In a surprise to fans who caught the teasers leading up to the Frito-Lay Flamin' Hot Super Bowl commercial (seen above), Megan Thee Stallion and Charlie Puth are not physically on screen. Instead, they voice a songbird and beatboxing fox alongside animal friends contributing to rhythmic huffing and puffing, thanks to the spicy Flamin' Hot Crunchy Cheetos and Flamin' Hot Cool Ranch Doritos they are snacking on in the jungle. A sloth, deer, and bear get the beat started, wincing from the flavor before going back for more bites, and as more animals come together to join in on the feast, the tune builds to Salt-N-Pepa's iconic hit, "Push It."
Megan was happy with the song choice, speaking more about it in behind-the-scenes footage (via People). "Salt-N-Pepa are just the OGs. They are female rap, female empowerment, everything I think I am," she said. "Putting the song in the ad is only right because it's everything women are standing for, especially right now."
Puth told Forbes he was excited to collaborate with Megan, having never met her before. "I'm a huge fan of hers and it's super-impressive she's able to graduate from college and be a pop superstar at the same time," he said. As for what team he's rooting for, Puth admitted he was clueless. "I just found out the Rams are playing," he said. "I have Super Bowl commercial ... and I can't wait to see the halftime show." Super Bowl LVI kicks off February 13 at 6:30 p.m. EST on NBC.
Fan support has inspired the Flamin' Hot invasion
The release of Flamin' Hot Cheetos came in the early '90s, but by the aughts, the vending machine staple was a cult classic. Since then, the rise in popularity has no end in sight as consumers are now sampling the many varieties under the Flamin' Hot umbrella. Frito-Lay is launching a Flamin' Hot hub for fans looking for recipes, exclusive content like Super Bowl spots, and a newsletter for the diehard snack fans so they never miss out on new merch and products. The official site launches February 5.
A Frito-Lay North America representative revealed that fans embrace of the spicy flavor inspired the new marketing. "The Super Bowl provides the perfect stage to showcase the Flamin' Hot flavor and attitude, and we are thrilled to partner with such exceptional musical talent to bring it to life," they said, per PR Newswire. " ... reimagining 'Push It' with the help of Megan and Charlie will really allow our fans to unleash their Flamin' Hot."
Megan Thee Stallion shared in the statement that the collaboration was a no-brainer, because "I bring heat to everything I do." The artist continued, "Filming this Super Bowl spot and paying homage to Salt-N-Pepa was an incredible experience and I can't wait for my Hotties to check it out." Tune in on game day to catch the spot, as well as another Frito-Lay commercial for Lay's they have teased featuring Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd.