Anticipation builds throughout Potato Chip World as Lay's prepares to release its Do Us a Flavor flavors for 2014. There will be four flavors available:
Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger Wavy Mango Salsa Cheddar Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese Cappuccino
The public can vote for their favorite flavor, which will win the flavor submitter a cool million.
So what will win? My gut feeling: Cappuccino. In a landslide.
Keep in mind there's one extra flavor this year. Why else would there be four flavors over three (last year offered Chicken & Waffles, Sriracha, and Cheesy Garlic Bread).
Cheddar Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese is too close of a profile to Cheesy Garlic Bread. I doubt there would be two consecutive cheese-based winners.
A spicy chip won't win either, even if it's somewhat neutered (Sorry Wasabi Ginger).
That leaves Mango Salsa and Cappuccino.
Lay's has had salsa-variety chips before, most of which were subpar (specifically the garden salsa flavor a few years ago). Throwing in a sweet mango flavor won't do the salsa any justice, and the two flavors will compete. A straight mango chip may have a chance.
Last chip standing is Cappuccino.
How on earth did this happen? What sick mind designs this?
Here's what I think: the first three flavors were slated to be the public choices; however, some flavor scientists decided to try out the Cappuccino concept on their own after seeing the entry (everyone loves a challenge, right?).
They discovered it was fantastic. So they lobbied the team evaluating the flavors to give it a try. The team was convinced, saw the controversy it could cause, and the fourth flavor was added.
Cappuccino is too juicy of a media hook. Stories are already starting to pop up around the sanity of Lay's to release such a chip. The buzz of "you HAVE to try this" will surpass whether it's that good or not.
Remember: this is the largest brand of potato chips in the US, by a significant margin. They know what they're doing.
Cappuccino is going to steal the hearts of voters. You heard it here first.