How Cheetos turned watching streams into a game | Cheetos Chepard Game [CASE STUDY]

In a world where 66% of Gen Z use ad blockers and gaming is their favorite way to spend time, Cheetos took on the challenge of creating something groundbreaking.

To reach a new target audience of young adults, Cheetos partnered with inStreamly to create the Cheetos Chepard Game – an innovative campaign that not only captured attention but enhanced the enjoyment of watching gaming streams, making the brand a natural part of the experience.

This is the first branded game of its kind integrated directly with Twitch streams. Cheetos combines entertainment, community engagement and brand promotion in one.

The challenge: From the family sofa to streaming channels

Cheetos decided to change its target audience from families to young adults. It therefore had to build new brand awareness and an emotional connection with the new audience.

The main challenge was to stand out in advertising while staying true to the brand’s values: fun, ease, and craziness. Cheetos aimed not only to become part of the streams but also to make them even more enjoyable for viewers.

Strategy: Interactive content that engages continuously

To maximize fun for viewers and deliver excellent results for the brand, our strategy was based on four key elements:

1. Creating a unique gaming experience integrated with Twitch streams.
2. Cleverly engaging viewers with interactive branded content that not only preserved the flow of the stream but also encouraged them to stay longer, even during breaks.
3. Maintaining brand consistency by incorporating the cheetah character inspired by Cheetos’ mascot, Chester.
4. Tapping into nostalgia through the concept of caring for a virtual pet (inspired by Tamagotchi).

We created a game that viewers can play during streams!

Since Twitch itself doesn’t offer such features, we “hacked” the system by writing the game’s code from scratch and installing custom software on the streamers’ computers.

The game, Chepard, involved taking care of a virtual cheetah, Chepard, who grew and evolved as viewers attended to its needs by typing commands in the stream’s chat. Viewers could feed, play with, clean, and even teach it tricks, collectively deciding on its development. As the game progressed, Chepard grew and gained new skills, keeping viewers engaged in continuous interaction without distracting them from watching the main gameplay.

Rewards for progress in the game were chosen collaboratively, strengthening the sense of community and involvement. Chepard became a “living” companion to the stream, adding an extra layer of fun, even during breaks between games. This was crucial for maintaining viewer engagement, as reflected in the campaign’s results.

“The collaboration with inStreamly on the ‘Cheetos Chepard Game’ campaign demonstrated how creativity and technology can revolutionize engagement with young adults. By integrating the game with Twitch streams, we created a unique experience that not only captures attention but also subtly builds a lasting connection with our new target audience. This proves that the Cheetos brand is not afraid to take on challenges and always strives to deliver maximum fun and engagement in a consumer-friendly environment.” – Natalia Ropiak, Brand Manager  Cheetos.

Results: Scale is the key to achieving the goal

The campaign was executed on a massive scale and generated incredible viewer engagement:

• 220 streamers integrated the game into their broadcasts.
• Over 50 000 interactions with Chepard were recorded
• Reach: 3 214 000 views

The numbers speak for themselves. The campaign generated an impressive reach of 3,214,000 views across streams and gameplay, achieving 100% of the KPI target.

In the area of brand awareness, a significant increase was noted — recognition of Cheetos campaigns on Twitch rose by 6 percentage points. Equally, notable changes occurred in brand perception. Cheetos strengthened its position as a snack brand, with a 6 percentage points increase, and as a brand supporting streamers and gamers, it gained an impressive 11 percentage points.

The exceptional community engagement resulted in over 50,000 interactions with Chepard. Viewers actively commented and inquired about the character’s return and the possibility of a game sequel, reflecting genuine interest in the content created

“Cheetos Chepard Game” set new standards

Cheetos introduced an entirely new media format that combines gaming with live streaming. This innovative approach turned advertising into part of the fun, giving the Cheetos brand a natural presence on streams among viewers.

Engaged audiences stayed online even during breaks, helping to take care of the virtual pet. This interaction fostered a stronger connection with the brand.

The campaign demonstrated that modern advertising approaches can benefit both brands and consumers. By creating an engaging and interactive experience, brand awareness of Cheetos increased among young people, setting a new benchmark for future ads on streaming platforms.

The inStreamly team executed the project for Frito Lay Poland in collaboration with Zenith Poland, which was responsible for the media strategy.