Just like the "girl dinner" and the butter board, the caviar and Pringles food trend was born on TikTok; several food influencers filmed themselves putting a dollop of the fine food onto the salted chip and, from there, a domino effect followed.
There are now millions of videos underneath the #CaviarAndPringles hashtag while some of the most popular ones have been viewed over a billion times.
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When a product inadvertently gets a lot of online hype, the best strategy is often to jump aboard and hang on. Pringles, which is owned by the larger Kellogg (K) -)'s brand, announced its new "Crisps and Caviar" collection on Sept. 19.
@pringles Introducing the ‘Crisps and Caviar Collection’ from Pringles and @TheCaviarCo. Get yours at PringlesAndCaviar.shop #pringlesandcaviar #pringles
♬ original sound - Pringles
A unique Pringles taste
As part of a partnership with San Francisco-based The Caviar Company, Pringles launched three sets at different price points — for $49, one will get a 1.3-ounce container of Pringles Sour Cream & Onion as well as a small jar of The Caviar Company's smoky and savory Smoked Trout Roe and some crème fraîche.
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The $110 set pairs Pringles Original with the more expensive Classic White Sturgeon Caviar while the $140 set has both types of caviar with three containers of Original, Sour Cream & Onion and Barbecue Pringles. Each set also comes with swag like serving spoons, a key chain and a serving tray that looks like the Pringles signature bow tie.
"From TikTok reviews to reality TV housewives, the nation is craving Pringles and caviar," Mauricio Jenkins, who leads marketing for Pringles US, said in a statement. "Our partnership with The Caviar Co. not only embraces the trending snacking behavior in an approachable manner, but expertly curates our beloved crisp flavors with this seafood delicacy for a Pringles tasting experience unlike one you've ever had before."
That quote is a nod to a Season 14 episode of the "Real Housewives of New York City" Bravo show in which some of the stars question another's choice to put caviar on her chips. The two companies, in turn, are telling you that this is indeed a legitimate way to enjoy both products (so long as you're willing to shell out upwards of $50 for a snack that normally retails for $3 a box.)
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"We expertly paired our high-quality, sustainably sourced caviar and roe with Pringles flavors that complement each other in taste, aroma and texture – the result is a must-try collection that takes the guesswork out of pairing and serving caviar, is sure to elevate any occasion, and brings your caviar dreams to life," Caviar Company CEO Petra Higby said in a statement.
The only way to get these sets is to go on PringlesandCaviar.shop and order them for delivery. That said, Pringles has already launched an extensive marketing campaign meant to promote the sets as an example of tasting the high life and getting in on the "flavorful online buzz."
Even more than generating sales, such promotions are meant to make the brand's names a part of internet discussion and in so doing it do its marketing for it.
"These are part of a long tradition of companies creating new, slightly outrageous, fast food and snack food combinations — more cheese, more meat, more layers, adding sauces, [...] for crunch and a pop of flavor," food historian Ashley Rose Young told BBC back in 2019.
