Cheetos and DEPT launch first UK campaign with fashion-led influencer push

Cheetos has launched its first UK influencer campaign, marking its largest activation to date for the market. Developed with digital agency DEPT, the campaign introduces the snack brand’s signature Cheetle dust to British audiences through fashion, humour, and creator-led storytelling.

The campaign aims to establish a cult following among Gen Z consumers as Cheetos expands its presence in major UK retailers. At the centre is a collaboration with British-Punjabi graffiti artist Navinder Nangla and fashion creator Aly Meghani, who has 1.3 million TikTok followers.

Anchored in London’s Soho, the campaign unfolds in a series of TikTok and Instagram stories where the orange snack residue becomes a spark for creativity. In one video, Meghani casually wipes Cheetle dust on his shirt, which inspires Nangla to transform the stain into a custom art piece. The moment culminates in the launch of a limited-edition Pashion 4 Cheetoz T-shirt.

The campaign concludes with an exclusive one-hour shirt drop at a pin-drop corner shop location, supported by more than 30 fashion-forward creators who share corner shop fit checks and lo-fi vlog content across social platforms.

Rachael Smith, Senior Marketing Lead, Cheetos: “Cheetos is part of US culture. We had to think differently to build our own Gen Z brand embedded in fashion and culture in the UK. A new mindset. A new marketing era for the brand. Partnering with Navinder and Aly has been an exciting collaboration as we take Cheetos beyond the shelf and into fashion culture.”

Bel Moretti, Creative Director, DEPT: “The opportunity to make a ‘thing’ over an ad with a brand like Cheetos doesn’t come around too often – so we knew we had to get it right. We leant into the sharpness and playfulness of our audience with an artist that truly understands the art in the irony, one that we knew would land the right balance of mainstream brand and niche audience references. And together we turned our dusty Cheetle hand prints into a thing of wearable beauty.”

The campaign integrates influencer reach, streetwear aesthetics, and snack brand humour to embed Cheetos within UK youth culture.