Lay's "Do us a flavor" promotional campaign earned PepsiCo, Inc. an award for creativity and innovation.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, N.Y., was awarded a Grocery Manufacturers Association award for innovation and creativity during the association’s Leadership Forum, held Aug. 22 to 24. The honor recognized the company’s “Do us a flavor” promotional campaign.

The campaign was for PepsiCo’s Lay’s potato chip brand and it invited consumers to submit ideas for new flavors and then vote on their favorites. The promotion generated millions of suggestions and cheesy garlic bread potato chips became the latest flavor in the Lay’s product lineup.

“For ‘Do us a flavor’ to succeed, we knew it had to be guided by deep insights about millennial consumers,” said Ann Mukherjee, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division. “Our deep understanding of consumer behavior allowed us to create tools and applications that engaged consumers in innovative new ways. The campaign was an undeniable success for our company, and we are honored to be recognized by our peers for it.”

The G.M.A. evaluated applications in two manufacturer divisions for the competition — those from companies with total sales of less than $3 billion and companies with $3 billion or more in sales. PepsiCo earned the honor for the more than $3 billion in sales division while Big Heart Pet Brands was honored in the less than $3 billion category.

“The C.P.G. Award for Innovation and Creativity embodies the spirit of our industry, which has long relied on ingenuity to drive growth and ensure that we are serving consumers efficiently and effectively,” said Pamela G. Bailey, president and chief executive officer of the G.M.A. “We are proud to recognize Big Heart Pet Brands and PepsiCo as they continue our industry’s strong tradition of inspired and bold thinking.”