Fans Select Seth Sentry To Open For LL COOL J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube And Doug E. Fresh On Doritos #BoldStage At South By Southwest; Part Of Epic Interactive Concert Experience

AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival in Austin, Tex., thousands of Instagram and Twitter posts using the hashtag #BoldStage received from around the world, shaped one of the most interactive and digital concert experiences fans have ever seen. Doritos, one of the marquee brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, took SXSW by storm with its signature vending machine stage that stood 62-feet tall and offered incredible performances by legendary hip hop acts, and an unmatched concert experience that had fans selecting everything from Seth Sentry as the opening act, to incredible special effects and "Whaddup" as LL COOL J's encore song. The entire experience aired commercial-free on Fuse, the national music television network of The Madison Square Garden Company, and streamed online at Fuse.tv, as well as on the Doritos Facebook Page. Fans were also able to experience the first-ever live-streamed mobile 360-degree concert by downloading the free Doritos 360 App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch from the App Store.  

The night officially kicked-off when three up-and-coming musical artists from around the world – Sentry, Devin Miles and Snow Tha Product – were selected by the Doritos brand in partnership with SXSW organizers to participate in a one-song battle on the Doritos #BoldStage. At stake was the chance to open for the evening's larger-than-life-headliners: LL COOL J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube and Doug E. Fresh. Sentry, an Australian hip hop artist, quickly won over the crowd with his lyrical genius, and within minutes of his bold performance, was chosen by fans via Twitter vote, to be the official opening act of Thursday night.  

But, in true Doritos-brand fashion, it didn't stop there. Post-set, Sentry received news that another stage is waiting. On April 4, 2013, Sentry will be a musical guest on top-rated late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"– yet another high-profile stage that has sparked careers for many rising stars. "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on ABC. Building on this momentum, Sentry also will join LL COOL J during his upcoming tour later this year.

"It was incredible to watch the up-and-coming talent last night on the Doritos #BoldStage and see the fans reactions to the performances," said LL COOL J, a two-time GRAMMY^® award winner, who is prepping to release his new album "Authentic." "The fans were bold enough to seize the moment and make the night epic. I am excited to have Seth Sentry join me on tour."

Throughout Thursday night's event, fans in Austin and around the world via the Doritos Facebook Page interacted with the 62-foot-tall Doritos vending machine, also equipped with a four-story-tall LCD screen, using the hashtag #BoldStage on Twitter and Instagram. Among the bold choices selected by fans were adding lasers, smoke and confetti to the stage.  In addition, fans chose LL COOL J's encore song – which was quickly named "Whaddup." Throughout the weekend, Doritos technology partner, Mass Relevance's best-in-class social engagement platform will continue working behind the scenes so that fans can share photos of their bold moments for the chance to see those images projected on to the larger-than-life screen between musical sets.

The Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW serves as the official launch of the brand's first ever global design and marketing campaign, "For the Bold." The campaign is being supported with a new logo and updated packaging that is being rolled out globally, along with TV and digital advertising set to launch in conjunction with the music festival. "For the Bold" builds on the brand's heritage of putting control in the hands of Doritos fans and empowering them to make their mark by challenging the status quo, as seen through unprecedented crowd-sourcing opportunities like Doritos Crash the Super Bowl, Unlock Xbox and now the Doritos #BoldStage at SXSW. 

The #BoldStage by Doritos is an official SXSW music venue and will be open to the public on Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, 2013. It is located at the corner of 5th Street and Red River in the Carmelo's Restaurant parking lot. The giant vending machine will go on to host performances by music's next big talents across genres and around the world, ranging from hip hop to rock.  For a full list of scheduled performances, visit www.facebook.com/DoritosUSA. Fans outside of Austin can check out the Friday and Saturday performances as they happen through the free Doritos 360 App.

About Doritos
Doritos tortilla chips is one of the billion-dollar brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY.  To learn more about the Doritos brand, visit its website at www.doritos.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DoritosUSA or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DoritosUSA.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

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About SXSW Music
South By Southwest (SXSW) Music and Media Conference, the world's leading music industry event, offers attendees the opportunity to explore the future of the music industry during the day at panels, talks, the Trade Show, Music Gear Expo and other conference activities at the Austin Convention Center. At night, the absolute best mix of musical performances from over 2,000 regional, national and international acts will take place at the nighttime music festival. Altogether, SXSW presents unmatched networking opportunities, career-building conference programming and over 100 stages of music for showcasing bands and conference attendees. SXSW Music takes place Tuesday, March 12 - Sunday, March 17, 2013 in Austin, Texas. For more information on every aspect of SXSW, please go to http://www.sxsw.com.

SOURCE Frito-Lay