To take our deep connections and friendships made with innovators at Empirical and build a strategically disruptive collaboration with the biggest snacks brand in the world — FritoLay. The partnership's first project would be a Doritos Nacho Cheese Spirit. Both brands tasked us with managing the creation of a core look and identity for the collaboration, along with packaging. When considering Doritos and Empirical, you won't find two brands more diametrically opposed in their respective food and beverage worlds. Doritos is bold, vibrant, and 3-sided, while the world of Empirical feels elevated and matter-of-fact.
Working alongside the PepsiCo Design & Innovation team, we started by elevating a singular shape that could balance the simplicity that Empirical stands for with Doritos' bold, angular intensity. The shape? An upside-down triangle, the foundation of Doritos, that when flipped subtly hints at the symbol for water — while cohesively anchoring the mismatching imbalance between the two logotypes.
On the bottle, we leveraged Empirical's existing silk-screened branding, landing on a bold sticker application that was flexible, quick to adhere, and could apply printing methods that elevate the Doritos branding into a more spirited, crafted world. Printing on the inside of the back label floods bold flavor color into the scene that pops in a darkened watering hole.
The secondary packaging connects to Empirical's elevated black box aesthetic. Inside, consumers discover a 5-panel fold-out showcasing the backstory, production details, and recipes. The collaboration marks a rare alliance from a flavor company with the ultimate flavor — Doritos Nacho Cheese.
