We’ve had prosecco flavoured crisps and even a gin and tonic version.
Now Doritos is making ‘lady-friendly’ tortilla chips that are quieter to eat, less messy and come in a packet designed to fit in handbags.
The company says women do not like to crunch loudly or lick their fingers in public while eating the snacks – unlike men.
Doritos are designing a lady-friendly crisp, which are quieter, less messy, and will also come in different packs – so they can fit in handbags more easily
Indra Nooyi, Global Chief Executive of PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, revealed to Freakonomics podcast: ‘They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavour into their mouth.’
The female-friendly crisps will also come in different packs – so they can fit in handbags more easily.
She said the company was looking to launch the product ‘soon,’ but it was unclear whether it would be released in the UK.
Indra Nooyi, Global Chief Executive of PepsiCo, which owns Doritos, said: ‘They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavour into their mouth’
Miss Nooyi added: ‘It’s not [a question of] male and female as much as “are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?” And yes, we are looking at it, and we’re getting ready to launch a bunch of them soon.
‘For women [it’s about] low-crunch, the full taste profile, not having so much of the flavour on the fingers and how can you put it in a purse. Because women love to carry a snack in their purse.’
But the decision has been met with outrage – with people confused as to why it needs to be marketed to women.
One Twitter user questioned if the decision could be real – whilst another felt the decision to use ‘sexist stereotypes’ was an advertising tactic.
‘This can’t be real?!’: One woman took to social media to voice her disbelief at the decision
One skeptic felt the company were using a marketing tactic: ‘Doritos is baiting women with sexist stereotypes to get women to do their advertising for them. Don’t fall for it’
Another said there were more important things that women need: ‘We asked for equal pay, we didn’t ask for this’
If the product does hit the shelves in Britain, new laws will enable the Advertising Standards Authority to prohibit the crisps being branded as specifically for women. The concept was met with a mixed reaction last night.
The Women’s Equality Party hit out at companies that perpetuate ‘tired gender stereotypes’. ‘The idea of shrinking products for women is as old as the ad men making these decisions,’ said a spokesman.
Former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe defended the low-crunch version of the triangular corn snacks.
She told the Daily Telegraph: ‘I never lick my fingers in public or in private as I think its a ghastly habit.
‘I think the idea of crisps for women is a bit daft, although I do think women are generally a bit fussier than men about these things. I am a cruncher, but I’m fussy about where I crunch. Bully for them (Doritos), they’ve introduced polite crisps.’
WHAT OTHER PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN GENDERED?
Yorkie bars – the chocolate company ran their product with the slogan ‘it’s not for girls’. Nestle, who own Yorkie, produced pink Yorkie bars in 2005 to celebrate the Isle of Man being renamed the Isle of Woman for two days.
‘It’s not for girls’: The Yorkie bar is marketed for men
Bic pens for her – the stationer produced a range of pens in pink and purple, which they said was specifically designed to fit in the female hand, and cost more than a standard pen sold by Bic.
Sheila’s wheels – a women’s focused car insurance company. Perks of signing with the company include ‘handbag cover’.
Brogurt – yogurt designed for men. Marketers created the fat-free, high protein product in a bid to make dairy man-friendly, with the slogan ‘find your inner abs’.
Pritt Stick’s ‘Just 4 Girls’ glue – the glue, packaged in pink for girls, received backlash for trying to gender children’s toys.
Kleenex Mansize tissues – Kleenex launched the larger tissues specifically designed for men.