Tostitos believes that food has the power to bring people together—not just around the table, but in ways that strengthen communities. With the Super Bowl as a national stage, the brand saw an opportunity to create a program that went beyond traditional activations and delivered meaningful, lasting support to independent food businesses in the host city. Rather than constructing a temporary pop-up, Tostitos partnered with St. Roch Market, a historic New Orleans food hall, to launch Tostitos Cantina: a collaboration with 11 local chefs who crafted exclusive dishes featuring Tostitos chips and dips.
Instead of a one-time promotional effort, the program was built to generate direct economic benefits for small business owners through a profit-sharing model that ensured vendors saw real financial gains. Tostitos also made significant, lasting investments in the market's infrastructure, including new community seating and AV upgrades that would continue to serve patrons long after the activation.
Beyond the local effort, the brand extended its commitment to food accessibility by donating $100,000 to GENYouth to combat food insecurity and provide better nutrition to students nationwide.
Tostitos successfully transformed a Super Bowl activation into a community-driven effort that left a tangible mark on the local food scene, setting a precedent for how brands can authentically integrate with and support communities.
Tostitos set out to do more than just show up for Super Bowl Weekend—we wanted to create something with a lasting impact on the New Orleans community, which is why we launched weeks in advance of the Big Game with a focus purely on the local communities that have supported St. Roch for the past 150 years. And instead of creating just another one-off pop-up, we partnered with the well-loved market and its independent chefs to craft a culinary experience that authentically blended Tostitos with the city’s diverse flavors, testing a unique profit-sharing model that the brand hopes to continue to develop and refine using learnings from this partnership.
For three consecutive weekends leading up to the Big Game, 11 local chefs reimagined recipes by incorporating Tostitos chips and dips, proving that Tostitos can enhance a wide range of cuisines beyond Tex-Mex. But they weren’t in it alone—as part of our partnership, Chef Jody Denton from Frito-Lay spent hours co-creating dishes alongside each chef and ultimately imparting new skills, techniques and tricks on each, some of whom were solely self-taught until this partnership. The result was an exciting, multi-course tasting menu for pre-registered guests, while walk-ins could explore new flavor combinations through an à la carte offering.
Every detail of the experience was designed to inspire consumers to bring these ideas into their own kitchens. From immersive branding—spanning staff uniforms, signage, decor, and animated projections—to branded recipe books that encouraged at-home experimentation, the activation reinforced just how accessible and versatile Tostitos can be.
The activation’s impact extended beyond the kitchen. Through the aforementioned unique profit-sharing model, local vendors saw direct financial benefits—on top of a massive influx of new visitors—while a $100,000 donation to a culinary-focused nonprofit, GENYouth, reinforced Tostitos’ commitment to supporting the broader food community.
By blending culinary creativity with real community investment, Tostitos turned a Super Bowl activation into something much bigger—an initiative that celebrated food, empowered small businesses, and left a lasting mark on New Orleans’ vibrant dining culture.
The Tostitos Cantina exceeded expectations, generating massive engagement, media buzz, and sales impact. In earned media and PR, the activation secured 64 media placements, including features in TimeOut, Eater New Orleans, AdWeek, PR News, MediaPost, and OK!, resulting in 1.5 billion total impressions and 100% positive-to-neutral sentiment. The event also attracted 22 media and influencer visits.
The sales impact was significant, with a 3.7x increase at St. Roch Market during the activation—with TOSTITOS® Cubano Crunch Quesadilla from Aritza’s Kitchen, the TOSTITOS® Brisket Walking Taco from Taceaux Loceaux, the TOSTITOS® Spicy Tuna Nachos from Lin’s Poke & Sushi, and the Laksa-Inspired TOSTITOS® Tortilla Soup from Laksa as the top sellers.
Consumer sentiment and participation were overwhelmingly positive, with thousands of guests attending across all three weekends. Social engagement was high, with attendees sharing their experiences and recipe recreations. Guests overwhelmingly reported they were more likely to purchase Tostitos after experiencing the activation. By seamlessly blending brand storytelling with community investment, Tostitos successfully shifted perceptions and reinforced its role as a versatile, must-have kitchen staple.
