Flamin' Hot® Enlists Megan Thee Stallion to Establish New Flamin' Hot University

Thee Hot Girl Dean of Admissions and Flamin' Hot® help fans "Unleash their Flamin' Hot" with online courses and a limited-edition merch collection that funds scholarships for HBCU students at Texas Southern University

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As homecoming season heats up, Flamin' Hot®, Frito-Lay's famous flavor with a fiery attitude, teams up with GRAMMY award-winning musician and official reigning queen of hot Megan Thee Stallion to form Flamin' Hot University. In a new online video, Megan Thee Stallion encourages students who embrace the spicy, rebellious spirit of the brand to attend the university. At the fictitious university that's motto is "Education is Hot," they can learn to "Unleash their Flamin' Hot" through short, snackable courses on food, fashion and lifestyle.

As elevating your drip is one of the easiest ways to embrace confidence, Megan also gave her hottie stamp of approval to an exclusive line of Flamin' Hot University merchandise created by streetwear designer Melody Ehsani. The collection features six items guaranteed to spice up your on-campus 'fits, including a Stallion Varsity Jacket, Hot Girl Club Sweater, and more. 

Proceeds from the merchandise collection will go towards establishing a scholarship fund, of up to $150,000, at Texas Southern University (TSU), an HBCU based in Houston and Megan's alma mater. To purchase the exclusive merchandise and support the scholarship fund, visit MelodyEhsani.com while supplies last. TSU Tigers are encouraged to visit tsu.edu/flaminhot to learn more about the scholarship.

"Every piece in this collection is as spicy as Megan Thee Stallion and the Flamin' Hot snacks that inspired it," said Ehsani. "I love that in addition to creating some bold and fun pieces, we were able to give back to the students at Texas Southern University."

Additionally, Flamin' Hot will make a separate contribution of $100,000 to the Pete and Thomas Foundation, the non-profit organization that Megan launched in 2022 that focuses on uplifting and assisting women, children, senior citizens, and underserved communities in Houston, Texas and across the world. The organization focuses on three core sectors – education, housing, health and wellness – and is committed to supporting mission-aligned, non-profit organizations, generating awareness around key campaigns and spearheading its owned and operated activities.

"I had an absolute blast bringing Flamin' Hot University to life and tapping into my love for food and fashion," Megan Thee Stallion said. "But more than anything, I'm extremely proud that we were able to uplift TSU students, establish an impactful scholarship fund, support the Pete and Thomas Foundation and promote the importance of education."

"Everyone deserves to be their Flamin' Hot self, but student loans can create a significant burden on college graduates – especially at HBCUs where students graduate with 19% more debt than those at non-HBCUs¹," said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay. "The Flamin' Hot University scholarship fund at TSU was designed to ease some of the financial pressures student loans bring so graduates can focus on unleashing their hottest potential."

With the perfect snack for every kind of spice lover, the entire Flamin' Hot portfolio of snacks—from Cheetos® and Doritos® to Ruffles® and Funyuns®— is coming together for the first time in a national campaign to bring the heat. Exclusive Flamin' Hot University-inspired packaging of Cheetos Flamin' Hot and Doritos Flamin' Hot Nacho are also available for purchase, while supplies last. 

Potential students can visit FlaminHotUniversity.com and follow @flaminhot on social media to take part in the Flamin' Hot University courses and view exclusive content. 

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's^® and Ruffles^® potato chips, Doritos^® and Tostitos^® tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos^® snacks, Stacy's^® pita chips, PopCorners^® popped-corn snack, SunChips^® multigrain snacks and Fritos^® corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).  

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's^®, Doritos^®, Cheetos^®, Gatorade^®, Pepsi-Cola^®, Mountain Dew^®, Quaker^®, and SodaStream^®. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. 

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.   

¹ Center for Responsible Lending, "Paying from the Grave": Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Alumni and the Burden of Student Loan Debt, November 2022 

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America