Tostitos Teams with Food Network for Sweeps, In-Store Promo

Looking to expand its reach among women, Frito-Lay is partnering with Food Network's “Simply Delicioso” show to launch an in-store and online campaign.

Under the “Free the Fun” campaign, Food Network will air vignettes featuring Ingrid Hoffmann, host of “Simply Delicioso, making recipes using Tostitos products throughout the year. At retail, “Simply Delicioso” branding and the promotional Web site FreeTheFun.com will appear on more than 100 million of bags of Tostitos. In-store displays, which will include coupons and recipe booklets, will also support the tie-in.

A sweepstakes also launches this month at FreeTheFun.com where people can enter for a chance to win a trip to Miami, FL, for a cameo appearance on the Food Network’s “with Ingrid Hoffman and tour the Food Network studio.

And this summer, Food Network and Tostitos will launch a recipe contest at foodnetwork.com/tostitos in search of budding chefs to send in their favorite recipes incorporating Tostitos products. Visitors will choose the winning recipe in an online vote. The winner will be featured in a winter 2008 Food Network promotional vignette starring Hoffmann, who will prepare the dish on-air, and win a trip to New York to see the Food Network studio.

TV spots, online marketing and in-store activity will also support the campaign, which runs through December. Element 79 is handling the creative for the campaign and OMD is in charge of media buys and the overall promotion.