![]() Shakira and JLO at the PepsiCo Superbowl performanceįrito-lay has learned the importance of the Latino market, which generates a $1.7 trillion annual GDP. He carried two pistols and robbed people of their Fritos corn chips at gunpoint.Īfter two Latino organizations protested the use of this stereotypical image, Frito-Lay retired the Frito Bandito and began rebuilding their trust with the Latino consumer, making sure to stay away from stereotypes. In 1967 Frito-Lay built a multimillion-dollar ad campaign that included a Mexican revolutionary with a sombrero, handlebar mustache, gold tooth, and a thick Spanish accent - they called him the Frito Bandito (bandit). Latin Heat is taking a deep dive into how the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos became a marketing phenomenon and turned into a controversy over who invented the popular snack. Montanez became the force behind one of the most popular spicy snack in America and beyond, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos In the case of Montañez, he is a man who started out as an hourly paid janitor at a Frito-Lay/Pepsico plant and rose to a highly respected executive, not only within the company rank and file but also in the Latino community. Sometimes the gossip can lead to the demise of one’s character and other times it elevates a person to prominence. Today, hot spicy gossip moves faster than a California brush fire. The gossip would take on a life of its own. In the olden days, Latinos would gossip over the fence or at the kitchen table. This is called Chicano innovation.įolklore, hot spicy and juicy gossip, and “envidia” (jealousy) have been part of the Latino culture for centuries. What Frito Lay did when they introduced Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, with the help of its number one Chicano innovator and employee, Richard Montañez, was take an ancient poor Mexican snack and give it a modern-day appeal to the masses. Folklore, like chicharrones, has been part of Latino cuisine and culture for over a century. Chicharrones are pork rinds that are cut into small squares and deep-fried with manteca (lard) until crunchy and crackly. Before the name, Frito-Lay was even conceived. This snack was created long before Frito-Lay existed. Initial promotion artwork used by Montañez to sell his idea Just one taste can take you all the way back to your village in Mexico, or to the agricultural fields of Buckeye, Arizona, or even your old neighborhood in Boyle Heights, California. Academics might call this a poor man’s snack. This was, and remains a cultural Mexican delicacy. One thing we know for sure is that centuries ago, Latinos started shaking up chicharrones (pork rinds) in a brown paper bag, added a splash of lime with chili powder and salt. Ask a Latino, and they will tell you the real story. There are all kinds of stories out there in public about who invented the burrito and other Mexican food delicacies. ![]() So, who invented the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? It turns out the Chicano’s version of the story was true. We regret the confusion that has come from the recent speculation, but most importantly want Richard to know he is valued and cared for among PepsiCo’s employees and we only wish him happiness and success. He is an inspiration and his story cannot be belittled. ![]() ![]() R ichard is an important part of PepsiCo’s history and the success of the company. However, just because we can’t draw a clear link between them, doesn’t mean we don’t embrace all of their contributions and ingenuity, including Richard’s. We also know there was a separate division team developing a spicy product offering for Cheetos and other snack brands that were tested in market and found their way into permanent products on store shelves, including Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.ĭifferent work streams tackling the same product without interacting occasionally occurred in the past when divisions operated independently and were not the best at communicating. To be clear, we have no reason to doubt the stories he shares about taking the initiative to create new product ideas for the Cheetos brand and pitching them to past PepsiCo leaders. His insights and ideas on how to better serve Hispanic consumers were invaluable and directly resulted in the success of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. “ Far from being an urban legend, Richard had a remarkable 40-plus-year career at PepsiCo and made an incredible impact on our business and employees and continues to serve as an inspiration today. Just before Latin Heat was to publish this second article on the controversy that began when the Los Angeles Times published the article written by Sam Dean, Pepsico put out an official statement.
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