Snacking: New Pringles flavour finally revealed - and it's set to divide the nation

Why it is the topic trending:

• Pringles created a four-month mystery around its new flavor, generating significant anticipation on social media by keeping the specific taste under wraps and only offering a limited-edition tube.

• The revealed "Spicy Pickle" flavor aligns with a popular Gen Z TikTok trend that saw numerous viral videos featuring pickles and pickle-related food combinations, making it culturally relevant.

• The brand intentionally aimed for a "divisive" flavor to spark conversation and online buzz believing that strong opinions, even negative ones, can increase visibility and engagement.

• Nearly 6,000 consumer guesses demonstrate high engagement with the campaign, with participants actively trying to decipher the flavor profile based on taste and smell.

• Pringles' flavor strategy is based on observing European food trends, as the brand's flavour specialist mentioned this as a key source of inspiration alongside TikTok, adding an international context.

Overview: Pringles has unveiled its new limited-edition mystery flavor, Spicy Pickle, after a four-month campaign of secrecy and consumer guessing that built considerable online hype. Inspired by a Gen Z TikTok trend, this flavor aims to generate buzz through its intriguing and potentially polarizing taste profile, with the brand strategically withholding information to maximize engagement.

Detailed findings:

• The mystery flavor, launched in limited-edition tubes, was revealed as Spicy Pickle on May 19, 2025, ending the prolonged speculation.

• This flavor takes inspiration from the pickle trend popular on Gen Z TikTok which included trends like 'glickles' and 'chickles', showcasing a clear interest in pickle flavors among younger consumers.

• Almost 6,000 guesses were submitted by consumers, with less than 1% correct highlighting the effectiveness of the mystery strategy in keeping the flavor a secret.

• Spicy Pickle contains red chili and jalapeno for spice, providing a noticeable kick, along with fermented pickle notes and notes of onion, tomato, paprika, and garlic creating a complex and layered flavor profile.

• Pringles' flavor specialist mentioned that European food trends which the brand regularly monitors for inspiration and Gen Z TikTok insights influenced the flavor choice, indicating a dual approach to trend identification.

• The brand intentionally sought a flavor that would be talked about and might divide opinions believing that this would lead to more social media shares and discussions.

Key success factors of product (trend):

• Prolonged Mystery: The four-month campaign effectively built anticipation by creating a sense of exclusivity and the allure of the unknown.

• Trend Alignment: Tapping into the Gen Z pickle trend ensured relevance and increased the likelihood of trial among the target demographic.

• Intriguing Flavor Profile: Spicy Pickle's combination of tastes drives conversation as it blends spicy elements with the tang of fermented pickles, creating a unique sensory experience.

• Limited Availability: The limited-edition nature encouraged immediate interest prompting consumers to purchase quickly before the flavor disappeared.

• Social Media Engagement: The campaign actively involved consumers online by encouraging them to share their guesses and reactions using dedicated hashtags.

Key takeaway: Pringles successfully leveraged a long-term mystery campaign and a relevant Gen Z TikTok trend to generate significant excitement and engagement for its new Spicy Pickle flavor, highlighting the power of social media and strategic flavor choices in capturing consumer interest.

Main trend: Brands Leveraging Social Media Trends and Mystery Marketing for Product Launches.

Description of the trend: "Mystery Munchies: Social Media & Flavor Reveal Campaigns." This trend involves brands, particularly in food and beverage, using platforms like TikTok to engage younger audiences with mystery marketing campaigns around new product launches. By keeping product details secret, brands encourage consumers to speculate, share their guesses online, and build hype around the eventual reveal, often aligning the product with popular social media trends to ensure cultural relevance and maximize engagement.

What is consumer motivation:

• Curiosity and the desire to solve a puzzle as the unknown flavor presents a challenge that consumers enjoy trying to figure out.

• A sense of participation and involvement with the brand as they actively contribute to the online conversation and feel connected to the product launch.

• The wish to be among the first to know and try creating a feeling of being an insider or part of an exclusive group.

• Alignment with popular online trends as Gen Z consumers often seek out products and experiences that are currently viral on platforms they use.

• The satisfaction of the final reveal providing a sense of closure and often validating those who guessed correctly or were close.

What is driving trend:

• Social media's capacity for direct and viral engagement allowing brands to bypass traditional marketing and connect directly with consumers.

• The effectiveness of mystery marketing in creating buzz and generating organic conversations around a product.

• Reaching target demographics by utilizing platforms and trends that are highly popular with specific consumer groups like Gen Z.

• Generating user-generated content as mystery campaigns naturally encourage consumers to create and share their own content.

• Standing Out in a Crowded Market by employing unique and memorable launch strategies that differentiate a product from competitors.

What is motivation beyond the trend:

• The inherent human desire for novel sensory experiences prompting consumers to seek out new and exciting tastes and sensations.

• Connecting with Brands Through Shared Experiences as participating in a marketing campaign can foster a sense of connection and shared excitement.

• The Joy of Discovery as unveiling a secret or being among the first to experience something new provides inherent satisfaction.

Description of consumers article is referring to: Primarily Gen Z consumers active on TikTok, snack enthusiasts interested in novel flavors, social media users who engage with brands online, and existing Pringles customers curious about the mystery.

Shopping Preferences:

• Seek Novel and Exciting Flavors: These consumers are driven by a desire to try new and unique taste experiences, often looking for snacks that offer a departure from the ordinary.

• Are Influenced by Social Media Trends: They are likely to be aware of and influenced by trends and discussions happening on social media platforms like TikTok, potentially seeking out snacks that are currently popular online.

• Enjoy Interactive Brand Experiences: The success of the mystery marketing campaign suggests that these consumers appreciate brands that create engaging and interactive experiences around their products, making the shopping experience more fun and involving.

• Are Open to Unconventional Flavor Combinations: The "Spicy Pickle" flavor indicates a willingness to experiment with bold and perhaps unusual flavor pairings that go beyond traditional sweet or savory options.

• Are Motivated by Scarcity: The limited-edition nature of the flavor likely creates a sense of urgency, encouraging consumers to purchase the snack before it disappears from shelves.

• Show Some Loyalty to Established Brands: While open to new experiences, they are also likely to try new offerings from brands they already trust and enjoy, such as Pringles.

• Value "Buzzworthy" Products: They may be motivated to buy snacks that are generating online buzz and conversation, wanting to participate in the trend and share their own opinions.

• Prefer Familiar Formats with New Twists: They tend to be comfortable with familiar snack formats but are actively seeking new and exciting flavor variations within those formats.

Conclusions: Pringles successfully generated significant buzz and engagement for their new Spicy Pickle flavor by employing a mystery marketing strategy and aligning with a popular Gen Z TikTok trend. This approach demonstrates the effectiveness of leveraging social media and creating intrigue to drive consumer interest in product launches.

Implications for brands:

• Utilize mystery marketing to create a sense of excitement and anticipation around upcoming product releases.

• Tap into Social Media Trends by identifying and aligning with relevant and popular trends on platforms like TikTok to increase visibility and engagement.

• Encourage Consumer Engagement by designing interactive campaigns that prompt consumers to participate, share, and create content related to your brand or product.

• Create Limited Edition Offerings to generate a sense of urgency and exclusivity, motivating consumers to make a purchase before the product disappears.

• Understand Target Demographics by conducting thorough research to tailor your products, flavors, and marketing strategies to the specific preferences and cultural nuances of your desired consumer groups.

Implication for society:

• Social media's increasing influence on product development and marketing demonstrating how online trends and consumer-generated content can shape the products that brands create and the strategies they use to promote them.

• Gamification of Product Launches with brands incorporating elements of games, such as guessing contests and rewards, into their marketing campaigns to enhance consumer engagement and make the launch more interactive.

Implications for consumers:

• More Engaging Product Launches providing consumers with opportunities to actively participate in the unveiling of new products, making the experience more interactive and fun.

• Access to Trend-Driven Flavors as brands increasingly take inspiration from popular social media trends to develop new and relevant flavor offerings that cater to current consumer tastes.

• Potential for Polarizing Products with brands sometimes intentionally creating flavors that are bold and unconventional, aiming to generate strong reactions and spark online conversations.

Implication for Future:

• Mystery marketing will likely continue to be a popular tactic for product launches as brands recognize its effectiveness in generating buzz and capturing attention in a saturated market.

• Brands will further integrate social media trends into their product development and marketing recognizing the importance of staying relevant and engaging with younger audiences on the platforms they frequent.

• The food and beverage industry will likely see more unconventional and "divisive" flavor offerings aimed at specific demographics as brands become more targeted in their approach and are willing to take risks to stand out.

Consumer Trend:

• Name: Mystery Product Engagement

• Detailed Description: Consumers actively engage with brands that launch new products with an element of mystery, enjoying the process of speculation and the eventual reveal.

Consumer Sub Trend:

• Name: TikTok Trend-Driven Consumption

• Detailed Description: Gen Z consumers are particularly influenced by trends and challenges on TikTok, leading them to try and purchase products that align with viral content.

Big Social Trend:

• Name: The Experience Economy in Marketing

• Detailed Description: Brands are increasingly focused on creating engaging and interactive experiences for consumers, rather than just selling products.

Worldwide Social Trend:

• Name: Global Flavor Fusion

• Detailed Description: Brands are drawing inspiration from global food trends and cultural influences to create new and innovative flavors.

Social Drive:

• Name: The Desire for Novelty and Connection

• Detailed Description: Consumers are driven by the desire for new and exciting experiences and to connect with brands and trends that resonate with their social circles.

Learnings for brands to use in 2025:

• Recognize the power of mystery and anticipation in marketing: Understand that creating an element of intrigue and keeping a product launch secret can be a highly effective way to cut through the constant noise of marketing and capture consumer attention, generating significant buzz and organic interest.

• Stay informed about trending topics and challenges on platforms like TikTok: Dedicate resources to actively monitor and analyze the ever-evolving trends, hashtags, and viral content on TikTok to identify potential opportunities for product inspiration and alignment with current cultural conversations, ensuring your brand remains relevant to younger audiences.

• Develop flavors and products that are relevant to specific demographics: Prioritize in-depth market research to understand the preferences and evolving tastes of your target demographics, such as Gen Z's affinity for spicy and unconventional flavors, to create product offerings that are highly likely to resonate and drive purchase.

• Design campaigns that encourage user participation and sharing on social media: Develop interactive and engaging marketing campaigns that actively involve consumers in the product launch process, such as contests, challenges, or calls for user-generated content, to amplify reach and build a strong sense of community around your brand.

• Be prepared for a range of reactions to bold and potentially divisive flavors: Understand that introducing unconventional flavors may elicit strong and varied opinions from consumers. Develop a strategy for monitoring and responding to both positive and negative feedback to maintain brand reputation and learn valuable insights for future product development.

Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025:

• Plan and execute well-structured mystery marketing campaigns for new product launches, building anticipation through teasers and clues across various marketing channels.

• Dedicate resources to continuously monitor trending content and emerging behaviors on key social media platforms relevant to your target audience, particularly TikTok, to identify actionable insights.

• Invest in comprehensive market research to gain a deep understanding of the flavor preferences, cultural nuances, and consumption habits of your desired consumer segments.

• Create interactive online experiences, such as engaging quizzes, polls, or creative content prompts, that directly involve consumers in the lead-up to a product announcement, fostering a sense of anticipation and co-creation.

• Develop a robust social media engagement plan that includes proactive monitoring of consumer sentiment, timely responses to feedback, and strategies for amplifying positive reactions while effectively addressing any negative feedback or concerns.

Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article and what brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it: Pringles' successful "Mystery Munchies" campaign illustrates the effectiveness of blending social media trends with mystery marketing, urging brands in 2025 to actively engage consumers online and create anticipation to drive buzz and trial for new offerings.

Final note:

• Core Trend: Mystery Marketing & Social Media Engagement

  • Detailed Description: The strategic use of secrecy and anticipation in marketing campaigns, combined with active engagement on social media platforms like TikTok, has proven to be a powerful tool for generating consumer interest and driving buzz around new product launches, particularly in the food and beverage industry.

• Core Strategy: Leverage TikTok Trends and Build Anticipation

  • Detailed Description: Actively identify and align with relevant trends on platforms like TikTok while implementing a carefully orchestrated campaign designed to build consumer anticipation and curiosity, utilizing teasers, clues, and interactive content leading up to the product reveal.

• Core Industry Trend: Gamification of Product Launches

  • Detailed Description: The increasing incorporation of game-like elements, such as riddles, guessing games, and rewards for correct answers, into product launch campaigns is becoming a prominent trend in marketing, effectively engaging consumers and making the experience more interactive, memorable, and shareable.

• Core Consumer Motivation: Curiosity and Desire to be "In the Know"

  • Detailed Description: Consumers are inherently curious and often driven by a desire to be among the first to know about new products or trends, creating a strong motivation to participate in mystery marketing campaigns, share their predictions, and engage with brands that offer them a sense of insider knowledge or early access to exciting new offerings.

• Final Conclusion: Pringles' successful Spicy Pickle launch serves as a compelling case study demonstrating an effective strategy for engaging consumers and generating significant excitement in a competitive snack market by skillfully tapping into popular social media trends and employing the captivating allure of mystery to capture the attention and curiosity of their target audience, ultimately leading to heightened product awareness, trial, and potential for lasting brand resonance.

Core Trend Detailed description:

Brands Leveraging Social Media Trends and Mystery Marketing for Product Launches describes an increasingly popular strategy in the consumer goods industry, particularly within the food and beverage sector. Companies are strategically utilizing social media platforms, notably TikTok, to generate excitement and engagement among younger audiences for new product introductions through the implementation of mystery marketing campaigns. This approach involves brands intentionally withholding specific details about a forthcoming product, encouraging consumers to speculate and share their guesses online, thereby building significant anticipation and organic buzz leading up to the official reveal. Often, these campaigns align the new product with prevalent social media trends, enhancing its cultural relevance and maximizing its potential for viral spread and consumer trial upon launch.

Key Characteristics of the Trend (summary, detailed description):

• Summary: Brands use social media to build mystery and anticipation for new product launches.

• Detailed Description: The core characteristics of this trend include the deliberate creation of secrecy around a new product, often in the flavor or specific attributes. Brands leverage social media platforms, especially those popular with younger demographics like TikTok, to disseminate hints and clues while encouraging consumers to actively participate in guessing the product. This interactive approach fosters a sense of anticipation and excitement, culminating in the eventual reveal, which is often timed to coincide with or capitalize on existing social media trends.

Market and Cultural Signals Supporting the Trend (summary, detailed description):

• Summary: Pringles' successful four-month mystery campaign and alignment with a Gen Z TikTok trend.

• Detailed Description: The success of Pringles' four-month-long mystery campaign surrounding its new Spicy Pickle flavor serves as a significant market signal. The brand's ability to maintain consumer interest and generate nearly 6,000 guesses demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. Furthermore, the explicit connection of the Spicy Pickle flavor to a popular Gen Z TikTok trend around pickles showcases a cultural alignment that brands are increasingly seeking to ensure product relevance and resonance with target demographics.

How the Trend Is Changing Consumer Behavior (summary):

• Summary: Consumers are actively engaging with brands online to solve product mysteries and are influenced by social media trends in their purchasing decisions.

• Detailed Description: This trend is changing consumer behavior by encouraging a more active and participatory role in product launches. Consumers are no longer passive recipients of marketing messages but are becoming involved in the brand narrative through online speculation and sharing. Moreover, the direct alignment of new products with popular social media trends indicates that these trends are increasingly influencing consumers' curiosity and their willingness to try new products that resonate with online cultural conversations.

Implications Across the Ecosystem (For Brands and CPGs, For Retailers, For Consumers, summary)):

• Summary for Brands and CPGs: Mystery marketing and social media alignment are powerful engagement tools; founders can drive hype. Retailers benefit from the buzz and potential sales of trendy new products. Consumers experience more interactive and exciting product launches.

• Detailed Description for Brands and CPGs: For brands, leveraging mystery marketing creates a unique opportunity to generate significant pre-launch buzz and encourage organic conversation around their new products. Aligning product attributes, such as flavor, with prevailing social media trends can significantly enhance relevance and appeal, especially among younger demographics. Engaging the brand's personality or founder in the campaign can further amplify the hype and build a stronger connection with consumers.

• Detailed Description for Retailers: Retailers stand to benefit from the excitement and consumer demand generated by successful mystery marketing campaigns and trend-aligned products. Stocking these highly anticipated new items can drive foot traffic (both online and in-store) and increase overall sales, particularly among the trend-conscious Gen Z consumer base.

• Detailed Description for Consumers: Consumers are treated to more engaging and interactive product launch experiences, turning the anticipation of a new product into a form of entertainment. The alignment with social media trends also means that new products are often culturally relevant and cater to current tastes and interests within online communities.

Strategic Forecast:

The trend of brands leveraging social media trends and mystery marketing for product launches is expected to continue its upward trajectory. As social media platforms remain central to consumer engagement and brand discovery, these tactics will likely become even more refined and integrated into comprehensive marketing strategies, particularly for brands targeting younger demographics. The effectiveness of creating buzz and driving trial through intrigue and online participation suggests that this approach will be a staple in the marketing playbook for the foreseeable future.

Final Thought:

Pringles' Spicy Pickle campaign offers a compelling case study in the successful execution of mystery marketing amplified by social media trends, demonstrating a powerful strategy for brands to capture the attention of Gen Z consumers and generate significant excitement around new product introductions in today's dynamic and digitally driven marketplace.

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/pringles-spicy-pickle-tiktok-trend-35252290