Celebrity sponsorships aren’t new, but celebrity “sponsortips”?

Cheetos is banking on the idea that a celebrity can be more than the face of the brand, sponsoring Canadian actor Simu Liu’s fingertips in its continued efforts to ensure Cheetos’ “Cheetle” dust is increasingly part of Canadian vernacular.

It’s also supporting the effort with one of Frito-Lay Canada’s biggest campaigns to date.

OMD Canada is managing the media campaign, and was given a mandate “to be mischievous, innovative, and to think outside the box,” says Alicia Bernard, supervisor of strategy at the agency. While she couldn’t speak specifically to budget, she did note that in light of the Simu Liu “sponsortip,” and instructions to look outside of digital, “this is one of the biggest priorities for the business.”

Bernard says there will be a “first of its kind” OOH billboard execution (in major city centres in English, French and Mandarin), which she couldn’t elaborate on because it hasn’t hit the market yet, along with a significant, innovative feature in HELLO! Canada Magazine that will be coming out in the October 25 issue. In addition, there will be a national TV push, capitalizing on “celebrity [Simu Liu] appearances and unique live TV elements,” she says.

In terms of social media, the campaign will primarily rely on organic activity, with TikTok being the only channel to get paid support due to the strong Gen Z presence, other than an initial paid presence on YouTube at launch.

OMD is also layering in a contextual campaign with IMDB, focused on any search around Simu Liu, his movies and TV shows. 

The “Sponsortips” campaign launched September 12 and is the latest Cheetles-specific program from the Pepsico brand following the inaugural campaign in 2022, where the orange dust received international media attention when the brand placed a giant statue of Cheetle-covered fingers in the similarly sounding town, Cheadle, AB.