PepsiCo, Leo Indonesia bring mischief back for Cheetos’ comeback to Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia – Four years after disappearing from Indonesian snack aisles, Cheetos is making a much-anticipated comeback in early 2025—and it’s bringing a bold dose of cheesy mischief with it. PepsiCo has relaunched two of its fan-favourite flavours: classic Cheese and Cheesy Roasted Corn, inviting snack lovers to embrace its new campaign message: Mischief is back.

To mark the return, PepsiCo and Leo Indonesia have released a horror-comedy (hor-com) themed ad titled ‘Mischief: It’s a Family Thing’. The short film plays on Indonesians’ love for horror movies but with a humorous twist. 

It features two teenagers caught in a scary movie moment when a mysterious hand reaches for their beloved Cheetos — only to reveal Dad as the real culprit. But Dad’s sneaky plan to steal the snack backfires, proving that in this family, mischief is a shared trait.

“This campaign embraces the unexpected and pure fun that you can expect with every bag of Cheetos. It’s a pure-hearted, mischievous story that beautifully delivers a playful product experience,” said Rika Sandi, marketing director at PepsiCo Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Hanussa Hamzah, senior marketing manager at PepsiCo Indonesia, added: “With Mischief is back, I love that we’re providing a moment of pure entertainment without losing the role of the brand, which sits at the very heart of the story.”

Lastly, Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Indonesia, explained the idea behind the cheeky comeback. “Research suggests that genetics can influence personality traits — even mischief. Cheetos celebrates mischievousness, and with this campaign, we embraced the playful side of families where mischief runs in their DNA.”

The campaign taps into Indonesia’s booming horror movie scene — horror films made up around 60% of Indonesian productions in 2024 — by combining pop culture and humour to bring Cheetos back into living rooms and family moments. The relaunch extends beyond TV with activations on social media, in-store promotions and more, all aimed at sparking playful moments of snack-stealing mischief among family and friends.