Doritos is planning a new shape for its iconic triangle-shaped chips.
A cryptic Instagram post from the brand on Saturday night hinted at a shift from triangle to square chips. The company confirmed it is ‘exploring’ the new shape.
The post on its UK account features an image of a square Doritos chip with the slogan: ‘The shape of things to come.’
Fans were quick to react. One joked: ‘April 1st already?,’ while another pleaded: ‘Don’t mess with my triangle!’ A third added: ‘Doritos without a triangle it isn’t a Doritos!’
A Doritos spokesperson said: ‘The news isn’t ready to be shared quite yet, but great to know how much interest there is in the shape of our chips.
‘As you’ve now seen, square Doritos are something we’re exploring and we’ll reveal more officially later this month.’
The company also shared photos showcasing a ‘prototype the team has been working on’.
One featured a graphic showing the ideal size of the new square chips – with each side measuring 65mm (2.56 inches). That is roughly the same size as each edge on the triangle version.
A post by Doritos appeared on Saturday night – sparking theories from fans of the chip
The original triangle-shaped Doritos chip shown next to a prototype of the new square version
Graphic shared by Doritos shows a side-by-side comparison of the square and triangle chips
Over the years, Doritos has introduced new flavors and even tweaked recipes in the UK last year to reduce fat and salt for a healthier snack.
But – until now – one thing remained unchanged: the iconic triangle shape that is ideal for dipping in salsa or guacamole.
In fact, that shape has been a staple since the chips were accidentally created at Disneyland in California in the early 1960s.
They became the first tortilla chip sold nationally in the US in 1966 – and led to a string of copycats.
Doritos made its UK debut in 1994, five years after PepsiCo acquired Walkers Crisps. It was one of many hit products sold in the US under the Lay’s brand that rolled out to Britain after the takeover.
At the launch, there were just three Doritos flavours, but since then the range has expanded to more than ten, as well as dips too.
Saturday’s Instagram post was on Doritos’s UK account. It is not clear yet if plans for square Doritos is just for the UK, or for the US as well.
Big changes by brands often cause a stir. Recently, Jaguar faced a backlash for a ‘woke’ rebrand.
The company was mauled for ditching the iconic ‘growler’ badge, used for decades on grilles and bonnets, and replacing it with a curved geometric ‘J’ badge.
Doritos shares potential dimensions of each edge and the thickness of the new square chips
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Chocolate fans have vented their fury after Toblerone increased the gaps between the bar’s iconic triangular chunks to reduce the weight of the popular treat
Other controversial changes included unveiling a bright pink concept car, which was aimed at updating Jaguar’s image for the electric age.
Meanwhile, Toblerone was slammed in 2016 when its American makers cut the number of triangles to make bars smaller.
The move made the gap between the triangles bigger, with some critics likening the new design to a bike rack.
The move by Mondelez – which blamed rising cost – resulted in the weight of the 400g bars falling to 360g and the 170g bars to 150g, while the price remained the same.
Two years later, Toblerone bars returned to their original shape but with a price rise.
The 170g version of the popular chocolate treat was shrunk in 2016 to 150g, in a decision which prompted a public outcry.
Last year, Doritos were rated the fourth best crisps in the UK – according to artificial intelligence.