'Copycat Branding': New Frito-Lay Minis Look Eerily Similar to This Iconic Snack Frito-Lay Minis are packaged in a canister and offer bite-sized versions of several snacks.
By Sam Silverman •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Frito-Lay has revamped some of its iconic snacks, but its new packaging might be stepping on Julius Pringles' toes.
The brand recently dropped its new Frito-Lay Minis, which offer bite-sized versions of Cheetos, Doritos and SunChips, and are packaged in a tall canister. The packaging is reminiscent of the Pringles can, which is owned by Frito-Lay rival The Kellogg Company and debuted more than 50 years ago, according to Ad Week.
introducing minis. mini snacks, mega flavor. pic.twitter.com/skjH2yCykA
— minis (@FritoLayMinis) October 14, 2022
According to the Frito-Lay website, the Minis were designed to be taken on the go and are available at select U.S. retailers for $2.79.
"There aren't many canister options out there, so we're bringing more variety and flavor to the snack aisle with this new product line," Stacy Taffet, SVP of marketing at Frito-Lay North America, said in a statement about the product's design, per Ad Week.
However, many think the canister snack market is exclusive to Pringles.
"Copycat branding. Awesome job marketing department at frito lay. Very innovative," one person commented on a LinkedIn post about the Frito-Lay Minis.
Another person speculated, "I wonder if there are any trade dress infringements there. They didn't do much to differentiate the cans from Pringles."
