Cheetos has unveiled a bold new marketing campaign by partnering with Netflix and its hit series Wednesday, bringing to life one of the show’s most recognizable characters: Thing, the disembodied hand. The campaign, launched ahead of the second season's debut in August 2025, blends television fandom, urban spectacle, and digital playfulness to captivate Gen Z audiences.
Thing, humorously dubbed the brand’s new “spokeshand,” takes over from the iconic Chester Cheetah in a series of activations that highlight Cheetos’ signature cheese dust—cheetle. The undead appendage is featured in a new commercial where it comically fails an audition to become the face (or rather, the hand) of the brand, before wreaking havoc on a hapless casting director.
In New York City, out-of-home ads amplified the campaign’s eerie yet playful tone. Thing broke free from a Cheetos LED billboard in Times Square, leaving orange cheetle fingerprints and graffiti on other nearby ads, including those for Gatorade and Spotify, as well as taxis, sidewalks, newsstands, and even a mini Statue of Liberty. These city-wide clues and disruptions were designed to generate intrigue and surprise among passersby, especially at the height of tourist season.
The campaign also extended to social media, with videos mimicking user-generated content. In one format, users follow mysterious, Cheetos-themed clues in their homes or city streets, only to be startled by an unexpected visit from Thing. This blend of physical and digital storytelling reinforces the campaign’s immersive character, inviting viewers to become part of the narrative.
As part of the launch, Cheetos introduced a limited-edition product: Flamin’ Hot Fiery Skulls, snack puffs shaped like skulls and adorned with Thing on the packaging. This spooky, snackable tie-in reflects the show's gothic aesthetic and adds collectibility for fans.
According to Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods U.S., the collaboration resonates with Cheetos' fanbase and the Wednesday audience, who both embrace individuality and bold self-expression. “We saw a unique cultural overlap between our community and the outcast energy that Wednesday celebrates,” she noted.
This partnership is one of several recent co-branded efforts between Netflix and consumer brands, as the streaming giant deepens its advertising footprint. Similar campaigns have included Domino’s and Squid Game, part of Netflix’s growing strategy around its ad-supported tier, launched in 2022. The company reported in its latest earnings call that it is on track to double its advertising revenue this year, signaling advertiser confidence in its creative, cross-platform approach.
In blending pop culture, urban storytelling, and digital surprise, Cheetos’ Wednesday campaign exemplifies how brands are reinventing character marketing in the streaming era—one cheetle-stained handprint at a time.
