Dorito's deploys AI-powered crunch canceller for gamers

Gamers using voice headsets during multi-player online gaming have long had to deal with potentially annoying and distracting crunching sounds as their opponent (or maybe ally) scarfs down crunchy snacks during gameplay. Doritos, seeking to cement its place as a preferred gamer snack, has launched a new AI-powered technology that claims to silence the crunch. Developed in partnership with software company Smooth Technology, the tech has reportedly been trained on more than 5,000 crunches and can detect over 3 million unique crunching sounds. It’s a rather unique take on the idea of “brand as utility.”

The sound of someone eating while talking is never pleasant, and it’s a problem gamers have faced for years as they interact through their headsets while blasting up a storm on Fortnite. Well, snack brand Doritos has been listening, and after a year in the works, it has released an artificial intelligence tech solution to cancel the noise of the famous crunch of its chips.

The campaign has been introduced by the PepsiCo-owned flavored tortilla chip brand following research by One Poll that found over a third of U.K. adult gamers (35%) felt the sound of someone crunching Doritos while talking to other gamers was distracting.

The company initially released a teaser campaign around the U.K. in the days building up to the reveal that included press, a hand-painted mural and out-of-home ads. This was seen on the biggest screen in London’s Piccadilly Circus and on digital screens at Mare St. in Hackney, Liverpool and Birmingham, featuring an ear with a Dorito sticking out of it. It included the statement “You won’t hear it coming.”

Full story and more details on the launch campaign at AdWeek.