Michael Symon Teams Up With Lay's For 'Do Us A Flavor' Campaign

Think you have the most creative and delicious idea for a potato chip flavor? Then enter it in Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest for a shot at winning $1 million (or 1 percent of the winning chip flavor's net sales, whichever is higher). The iconic chip brand launches the contest today with a pop-up store in New York City's Times Square, where celebrity chef Michael Symon and actress Eva Longoria will be on hand to help fans find their flavor inspiration.

This is the first time that Lay's has held its "Do Us a Flavor" competition in the United States, but they have already held the contest in more than a dozen countries across the globe — garnering an astounding 8 million submissions total internationally. Chip enthusiasts can enter through the Lay's Facebook page or by texting FLAVOR to CHIPS (24477) through Oct. 6; participants will need to enter their name, flavor name, up to three ingredients, and a 140-word description of the flavor. After the submission period ends, three finalist flavors will be developed by Frito-Lay's and introduced to the public in early 2013, and then it's up to the fans to vote for their favorite chip. The grand prize winner will be revealed in May 2012.

The Daily Meal caught up with chef Symon at the pop-up store to talk about the contest. He explains, "What I love about Lay's potato chips, and why I've loved them since I was a kid, is because there's three ingredients — potatoes, oil, and salt — so it's a very clean palate to start with, and then to create new flavors you really need to think about things that bring you back to a place."

To get the creative juices flowing, Lay's decked out the Times Square store with a slew of wacky and unique flavors currently available in stores. After tasting each and every one, Symon gave his choices for the best picks, namely Dill Pickle, and combining the Flamin' Hot-flavored chips with either Garden Tomato & Basil or BLT, although his favorite Lay's flavor of all time is Salt & Vinegar. Musing about his love for potato chips, Symon explains, "They are such a great late-night snack; I have very fond memories of eating Lay's chips and onion dip."

Some of the winning flavors from past contests around the world include Aline's Caesar Salad, Mastana Mango, and Garlic Prawns. It seems like the best plan of attack includes coming up with an innovative, out-of-the-box concept that doesn't stray too far from the expected savory potato chip vein.