Cheez-It partners with Pandora to create first-ever sonically-aged cheese snack using hip-hop music

Company: Kellogg Co.

Introduced: May 2022

Distribution: National

Product Snapshot: It's no secret Cheez-It will go to absurd lengths to bring the world new ways to enjoy its snacks made with 100% real cheese. So, when the brand came across an obscure Swiss study that found aging cheese to hip-hop music could strengthen the taste and smell, Cheez-It couldn't help but put its own spin on the findings with the release of new, limited-edition Cheez-It x Pandora Aged by Audio crackers.

The study suggests that the tempo and sonic frequency of certain hip-hop songs could take the classic, absurdly satisfying flavor of your favorite crunchy snack made with 100% real cheese to the next level. Cheez-It enlisted the help of the music and sonic experts at Pandora to find hip-hop songs with similar attributes to those from the study and create the first-ever sonically-aged snack made with 100% real cheese, aged to music by iconic hip-hop artists. The limited-edition crackers combine the world's love of hip-hop, the brand's dedication to producing the world's best-tasting cheese snacks, and Pandora's musical expertise to create an exclusive, one-of-a-kind snacking experience.

"After six months in the making, we're thrilled to finally share this absurdly delicious collaboration with our fans," said Erin Storm, senior marketing director of Cheez-It. "Our innovations team is always exploring new ways to bring more unique experiences to our fans, and Cheez-It x Pandora Aged by Audio is the perfect way to provide our dedicated fans with a truly first-of-its-kind snack while celebrating the joy music brings."

Cheez-It is releasing a limited run of exclusive Cheez-It x Pandora Aged by Audio boxes on CheezItHQ.com on May 26 at 12 p.m. ET. Fans can also access the Aged by Audio mixtape, which was curated by the music and sonic experts at Pandora to have an effect on the flavor intensity of the cheese using the unique vibrations of hip-hop music while it aged for six and a half months in a secure location. The mixtape will be available on May 26 via a link to Pandora on CheezItHQ.com, or directly on the Pandora app and Pandora.com. Flavor fans will have a chance to taste test the research for themselves and see if they would have picked the same hip-hop hits to age the Cheez-It cheese we all know and love.

Who better to help introduce fans to the first-ever hip-hop-infused snack than executive producer, SiriusXM radio host, and Cheez-It lover Sway Calloway? To celebrate the launch of Cheez-It x Pandora Aged by Audio, Cheez-It is collaborating with Sway to release his exclusive new YouTube series, "Living Legendz." The new series features interviews with hip-hop icons who've changed the industry, providing their thoughts on how hip-hop music has impacted the world—not just our cheese. Tune in on Calloway's YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter channels to hear from hip-hop's very own "Living Legendz" starting May 26.

"This collaboration is the perfect mix of my favorite things: hip-hop music, wild innovation and Cheez-It," said Calloway. "Hip-hop has influenced many lives, so I'm looking forward to seeing if fans can taste the effect of the most beloved genre of music in the world on these crackers."

Kellogg’s is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.

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