Doritos and PepsiCo’s in-house agency, Sips & Bites, have unveiled ‘Doritos Silent’ – the world’s first AI-augmented snack that uses technology which cancels the Doritos crunch for fellow gamers in real-time.
Snacking and gaming are synonymous, yet research by Doritos found that many gamers are put off by the sound of other players snacking. To cement Doritos as a top choice for gamers, the brand has created the first-ever silent chip that delivers the same crunch, but with no sound. Powered by the innovative ‘Crunch Cancellation’ technology, the sound of someone’s voice is separated in real-time from the noise of the Doritos crunch. The AI then stops the crunch audio from being sent down the microphone.
Doritos collaborated with software developers, Smooth Technology, to create the world’s first AI-augmented chip. Taking half a year to develop, the process involved the technical analysis of more than 5,000 thousand different Doritos crunch sounds to create a database. From these recordings, Doritos Crunch Cancellation technology then utilises AI learning audio driver technology to allow gamers to enjoy their Doritos without interrupting their playing experience.
The new software can be downloaded for free from the Doritos website and works exclusively with PCs.
Digital and social content has been used to reveal the AI-augmented product, showcasing the technology in action for two gamers. The ad signs off with a ‘Game on, Crunch off’ tagline.
Karina Stoltz, Senior Brand Manager at Doritos, said: “Gaming is a massive industry worth over £7bn, and is particularly enjoyed by Gen Z – a key demographic for Doritos. We know that the nation loves the satisfying crunch of Doritos, but listening to someone else enjoy them can be off-putting, particularly when concentrating while gaming. This concept isn’t a gimmick – it’s the real deal.
“The campaign aims to provoke immediate buzz and asks the questions, ‘how is it possible to silence the famous Doritos crunch’? ‘Crunch Cancellation’ software is simple to use and can identify over three million crunches in real time and silences them from travelling down the microphone.”
