Cheetos, Prime Video, and Amazon Ads captured the thrill of I Know What You Did Last Summer

Chester Cheetah found himself at the center of a mystery last Halloween. Ahead of the release of the original series I Know What You Did Last Summer, a modern take on the 1973 novel which was also the basis for the cult favorite 1997 film, Cheetos teamed up with Prime Video and Amazon Ads for a full-funnel campaign inspired by the new Amazon Original Series. Prime Video and Cheetos produced a custom digital ad in the horror/thriller style of the series. In the video, a young woman walks into her room to discover “I Know What You Did Last Summer” written in an inexplicable orange dust on her mirror (a callback to one of the most memorable moments from the original film and the new series). When she heads downstairs to find the culprit, all her friends are eating Cheetos, and there’s a familiar orange cheetah tail waving in the background.

“We are selective about the properties we lean into for co-promotional activations. It’s crucial that we activate in a way that is authentic to our brands as well as to our consumers,” said Cheetos’ Brand Director Melody Macaluso. “The Amazon team brought forward an idea that leveraged the IP in a way that delivered that. The mischievous nature of Chester and the iconic ‘mirror moment’ from I Know What You Did Last Summer created the perfect wink to consumers and invited them into the story in a playful way.”

This video kicked off the campaign that ran through the release of I Know What You Did Last Summer in mid-October and ended after Halloween. Along with the spot, Prime Video provided exclusive content, including clips, trailers, title treatments, stills, and other material from the series to aid Cheetos in developing campaign digital, video, and creative social assets.

“At Prime Video we create content that creates and shapes culture. As part of our promotional strategy, we have the pleasure of working with brands such as Cheetos to lift this content off the screen and break through the digital noise our customers face online,” said Prime Video Senior Promotions Manager Amber Fonseca. “These types of activations are important to our organization as they help shape the zeitgeist and encourage tune-in of a new show. We absolutely love and adore Cheetos’ mischievous and playful tone and knew immediately it would align well with the campy and dramatic horror of I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

Amazon Ads worked with Cheetos to create a full-funnel marketing strategy to help drive reach and awareness with customers during Halloween, which included Fire TV placements, video ads, Sponsored Brands, Brand Stores, and display ads through Amazon DSP. Beyond that, Prime Video collaborated with Cheetos’ social teams to reach fans on Twitter and Instagram by hosting live watch parties and other engaging activations.