The Tostitos Brand And Football Great Rodney Harrison Team Up To Get The Party Started This Football Season

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Tostitos, one of the flagship brands from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, is getting the party started this college football season by teaming up with retired football great and current NBC analyst Rodney Harrison to share his must-have tailgating tips. Harrison is also helping the brand kick off the Tostitos Tailgate Throwdown sweepstakes, giving fans a chance to win the ultimate party-inspired grand prize – a trip for one lucky tailgater and 10 friends to the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 6, 2014, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

From now until Nov. 16, college football fans can participate in the Tostitos Tailgate Throwdown sweepstakes by uploading their tailgating or pre-game party pictures via Facebook.com/Tostitos or by posting them on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #TostitosTailgate for a chance to win coupons, gift cards and the grand prize. Fans can also send a text message with the word "Party" to CHIPS (24477) on their mobile devices and receive a link leading to the sweepstakes page. The grand prize winner will be selected on/or about Nov. 18.

"Tostitos tortilla chips and dips are the go-to snacks for kicking off any great tailgate," said Christina Menendez, senior director of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "This season, we're not only inviting fans to share their favorite tailgating party moments – we're giving them a chance to keep the party going at the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship Game."

Harrison is a retired NFL defensive back who played for the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers, and spent his college years as a star at Western Illinois University. He knows first-hand the value and sense of community that tailgating adds to the game.

"As a former player, I can tell you that the support of the fans —  whether they're inside the stadium, tailgating in the parking lot or partying at home — plays a huge part in the success of the team," said Harrison, a current analyst for NBC's Football Night in America. "Great fans can inspire great teams – and the Tostitos Tailgate Throwdown is the perfect way for fans to share their team spirit while getting the chance to win an unforgettable prize. That's why I'm thrilled to work with the Tostitos brand to share my tailgating tips and bring parties to life this football season." 

The Tostitos brand and Harrison have come up with the following tips for a winning tailgate:

1. Get to the venue at least two hours before kickoff. You'll get the best tailgating spot and have plenty of time for your pre-party. If you're watching at home, plan ahead – you don't want to be filling bowls of chips and salsa during the opening drive.
2. Whether at the game or at home, make sure you have an ice cooler filled with beverages close by. Nothing tastes better than ice-cold beverages straight from the cooler.
3. Make sure to have the best playlist on-hand featuring a variety of music to fire up you and your fellow tailgaters. Just don't drain your car battery in the parking lot.
4. Snacking is one of the best parts about tailgating and pre-partying. Grab a bag of Tostitos tortilla chips and jars of Tostitos dips to get the party started and let the good times unfold.
5. Don't forget your team jersey. When in doubt, I'd go with a jersey from my favorite New England football team.

For more information and complete rules, visit Facebook.com/Tostitos.

About Tostitos
The Tostitos brand is one of the many 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. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/fritolay.

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 from treats to healthy eats; 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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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America