Cheetos has created a new dance move called “The Curl” with the hopes of becoming a viral sensation—or at the very least, bring awareness to the USA Curling team.
The dance was released ahead of the USA Curling team’s competition in February, taking advantage of football fans gearing up for SuperBowl LII. Curling—a team sport played by two players on a rectangular sheet of ice—doesn’t get the kind of attention other sporting events do, despite being an official sport of the Winter Olympics since 1998. Cheetos called it “one of the country’s most underappreciated sports.”
Cheetos enlisted YouTube singer/dancer Todrick Hall to help create a curling equivalent to a touchdown dance. Fittingly, the activation also includes Washington Redskins tight-end Vernon Davis and football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson.
A music video called “Teach Me The Curl” depicts Cheetos mascot Chester the Cheetah, Hall, Davis and Tomlinson teaching the US Curling team how to perform the dance move.
Dance sensations seem to pop up every couple of years, and Cheetos hopes to be the latest. In fact, the Curl bears a strong resemblance to the music and lyrics of the 2011 Cali Swag District hit single “Teach Me How to Dougie.”
The song and dance move, both created by Hall, taps into multiple demographics across music, dance, football, curling and fans of Cheetos snacks. On Hall’s channel alone, the video gained over 65,000 views in one day. Social media posts about the activation have also gained traction thanks to shares by curling teams and fans.
To completely seize on its promotional momentum, Cheetos will release limited-edition Winter White Cheddar Curls, available starting February 12. The new snack is prominently featured in the music video, complete with Chester the Cheetah curling on its package.
Falling in line with tongue-in-cheek food marketing trends, such as campaigns as Wendy’s savage Twitter account and KFC launching a chicken sandwich into space. Even Taco Bell started offering wedding services at its quick service locations. Cheetos calls its food marketing “mischievous,” promoting its cheese-flavored snacks with mobile games, branded accessories and line of luxury apparel. Most recently, the brand partnered with Regal Theaters in December to offer “Cheetos popcorn”—flavored popcorn mixed with crunchy Cheetos—at participating theaters across the US.
