PepsiCo Foods Canada takes this leap year to introduce a new snack to Canada

Leap Years happen only once every four years, and PepsiCo Foods Canada used this year’s February 29 to introduce to Canada and Canadian snack shelves its Havoc snacks.

Because Leap Years are rare, PepsiCo decided to play up the rarity of the Leap Year and Leap Day by having a mysterious 15-foot monolith appear suddenly on Nowhere Island in Ontario which then opened to reveal the new snacks to Canada.

This new chip brand, now on Canadian shelves, is a remix of textures and flavours that embraces the chaos of unique seasoning pairings according to PepsiCo. 

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"Havoc was born out of the desire to provide Canadians with a multisensorial experience paired with a unique combination of intense flavours," says Jess Spaulding, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Foods Canada. "Every aspect of this brand from the flavours, shapes, to packaging design, has been carefully considered and developed to connect directly with Canadian gen Z consumers who enjoy bold, spicy flavours."

Havoc comes in three flavours: 

Fiery Lime Flavoured Rolled Tortilla Chips: Rolled for extra crunch, bursting with scorching chili pepper flavour, zesty citrus tang, and rich spices.

Smoky Nacho Twisted Corn Chips: Combines gooey nacho cheese flavour, zingy jalapeño pepper and smoky paprika on a crunchy, unique form.

Bulgogi Blaze Flavoured Potato Chips: Inspired by the iconic Korean dish, crunchy ridged potato chips loaded with complex umami and chili pepper flavours, zesty garlic and ginger.

In the lead-up to the official launch, Havoc was introduced during the 2024 Super Bowl with a series of ads featuring content by notable Canadian creators.