Obama Re-Election Appears Likely Following Results Of Cheetos Brand Election Poll

Cheetos Facebook Fans Select Obama as Their Choice for "Commander in Cheese" Based on Presidential Portraits Made Entirely of Cheetos

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Frito-Lay North America

Oct 16, 2012, 04:02 ET

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Just hours before the start of the second presidential debate, late-breaking results from a poll commissioned by iconic Cheetos brand spokescat, Chester Cheetah, predict President Barack Obama to retain his seat as the U.S. "Commander in Cheese." In a narrow margin of victory, President Barack Obama's 3 feet by 4 feet one-of-a-kind Cheetos portrait claimed 57 percent of the nationwide vote vs. former Gov. Mitt Romney's 3 feet by 4 Cheetos portrait in Chester's entirely unscientific cheesy election poll. The results likely give America's "Big Cheese" incumbent a burst of momentum leading up to tonight's highly anticipated second debate. These numbers also confirm what political pundits and other leading polls have indicated for weeks – any way you slice the cheese, this race could be one of the closest in history.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121016/SF94321)

Voting in Chester's first-ever electoral poll for the favorite cheesy portrait - or candidate - kicked off on the Cheetos Facebook Page on October 3 with the unveiling of 3 feet by 4 feet one-of-a-kind Cheetos portraits of the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees – President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney. The portraits were made entirely of more than 2,000 individual Cheetos cheese snacks. Now that every vote has been counted, one "voter" from each political party will be selected to win a piece of election history – the official Cheetos portrait commemorating their favorite "head cheese."

Chester Cheetah tapped renowned artist, Jason Baalman, to create the cheesy interpretations of both candidates based on recent Facebook profile images. It took a combined 100 hours of work sorting and gluing each individual Cheetos snack into place to create the two truly unique portraits.

Cheetos snacks offer a way for families and friends to add a playful twist to their daily routine. The popular snacks are available in 17 varieties and 12 different flavors, including its newest addition — Cheetos Crunchy Salsa con Queso Cheese flavored snacks which hit store shelves earlier this year and are available in a 9.25-oz. package for a suggested retail price of $3.49.

About Cheetos

Cheetos is one of the billion-dollar brands that makes up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Cheetos by visiting www.cheetos.com or www.facebook.com/cheetos.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America