Wotsits are a popular British brand of cheese-flavoured corn puffs produced by Walkers, a subsidiary of PepsiCo.
Wotsits are often compared to other puffed corn snacks globally, such as Cheetos in the United States, but are distinguished by their unique texture and flavour profile.
In March 2002, Golden Wonder announced the launch of a football-shaped version of the product called "Wotsits Goalden Balls" to coincide with the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
[8] In April 2002, Golden Wonder teamed up with British television duo Ant & Dec for the "Goalden Shootout" promotion.
[14] In February 2007, Walkers changed the packaging for all their snack products, which were Quavers, Wotsits, Squares, French Fries and Monster Munch.
In December 2009, Quavers, Wotsits, Squares, and French Fries all changed their packaging again to coincide with a "99 Calories or Less" range with a consumers' focus on "New Year New Me".
[citation needed] On 9 January 2020, Walkers announced that the Flamin' Hot and BBQ Beef (renamed to "Sizzlin' Steak") would return to store shelves due to popular demand.
[23] On 1 July, Walkers announced the "Yummy With" range of lower-salt snacks made with chickpea flour.
The brand was advertised with the strapline "you only get a whoosh with a Wotsit" between 1994 and 2002 following a campaign designed by JWT of a play on words.
[citation needed] Wotsits were one of the sponsors of SMTV Live (alongside other Walkers snacks such as Monster Munch and Squares) from 4 January 2003 until the show's discontinuation on 27 December 2003.
[citation needed] In 2003, the advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers made a public apology when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health brought to light a private brief that it had made to Frito-Lay (Walkers' owners) where it proposed encouraging children (4 to 9 years old) to believe that "Wotsits are for me—I'm going to buy them when I get the chance and pester Mum for them when she next goes shopping".