Chester Cheetah

“	"It's not easy being cheesy"	„
	― Chester's Famous Catchphrase

Chester Cheetah is the animated mascot for Frito-Lay's Cheetos brand and Chester's Snacks line (which includes flavored fries, popcorn, and puffcorn), and has a lively history since his debut in 1986.

Names	Chester Cheetah
Gender	Male
Race	Cheetah
Occupation	Mascot
Origin	Cheetos Advertisements (1986)
Alignment	Mixed
Age	Unknown
Created By	Brad Morgan, Stephen Kane, Richard Williams
Height	183 cm (6ft 0in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lbs)

Appearance

Chester Cheetah is a slim, anthropomorphic cheetah with bright orange fur covered in black spots, dark sunglasses, and a laid-back style. He sports a white chin, muzzle, and belly, with his signature accessories including large, laced-up sneakers. His look evolved from classic animation to CGI, where he now has a photorealistic texture, adding depth and detail to his fur, sunglasses, and facial expressions.

Personality

Chester is known for his cool, smooth-talking persona and mischievous charm. Initially portrayed as a bit of a troublemaker, his early antics involved plotting clever schemes to get his hands on Cheetos, usually resulting in cartoonish slapstick humor. Over time, Chester's personality evolved to be more calculated and savvy, targeting an adult audience with a sly, occasionally rebellious streak. His voice and attitude, now refined with a mid-Atlantic accent, give him an air of witty sophistication as he encourages playful, cheeky acts, often referring to himself as "Papa Chester."

History

1986–2003: Animated Era

Cheetos’ original mascot was the Cheetos Mouse, who appeared in 1971 but was retired around 1979. Chester Cheetah was introduced in 1986, created by Brad Morgan, who directed and designed the commercials, with Stephen Kane scripting the original ads. Animator Richard Williams brought Chester to life with a 24-frame animation style. Chester, the smooth-talking, mischievous cheetah, quickly became the face of Cheetos, delivering the iconic slogans "It's not easy being cheesy" and "The cheese that goes crunch!" from 1986 to 1997, when the tagline evolved to "Dangerously cheesy!"

During the late 1980s and early 2000s, Chester starred in commercials where he would cunningly attempt to steal other people’s Cheetos, often through Looney Tunes-style antics and slapstick humor. These spots, initially directed by Keith Van Allen and later by David Feiss (creator of Cow and Chicken), featured Chester's rhyming speech and bold stunts, like riding a motorcycle off a bridge or swooping down from the sky to swipe Cheetos.

In 1992, Chester was set to star in his own animated show, Yo! It’s the Chester Cheetah Show! on Fox Kids, but the show was canceled before airing, following ethical concerns raised by Action for Children's Television over using a mascot as a lead character in children’s programming. The organization’s early petition against the show was historic as it protested a program before it even aired. In 2019, a petition emerged on Change.org advocating for the series to be produced for Nickelodeon.

In 1997, Chester’s character received a makeover along with the "Dangerously cheesy!" slogan. Pete Stacker replaced Joel Murray as Chester’s voice actor, and the commercials shifted to a live-action/animated hybrid format, bringing Chester into the real world. This update presented Chester as a smoother, more charismatic character who could finally enjoy his beloved Cheetos rather than simply coveting them from others.

2003–2009: CGI Transformation

In 2003, Chester transitioned to a CGI character in U.S. advertising, although he continued to appear in traditional animation in other countries. In 2006, Chester starred in a series of commercials centered on a baking competition where he outperformed competitor Chef Pierre to create Baked Cheetos. This led to the Chester Goes Undercover campaign, where Pierre steals the Baked Cheetos formula, and Chester tracks down Pierre and his goons—Twisty McGee, Flamin' Hot Fiona, and The Cruncher—until he recovers the formula. An interactive web campaign accompanied these commercials, adding to the campaign’s immersive appeal.

2008–Present: OrangeUnderground Redesign

In 2008, Cheetos shifted to targeting an adult audience with Chester promoting OrangeUnderground.com. Chester, now with photorealistic CGI textures, spoke with a mid-Atlantic accent, encouraging consumers to use Cheetos in playful acts of mischief, like silencing a snoring man or messing with a coworker’s cubicle. Referred to as "Papa Chester," this version was voiced by Adam Leadbeater.

Merchandise

Chester appeared in two video games by Kaneko for the Sega Genesis and Super NES: Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool (1992) and Chester Cheetah: Wild Wild Quest (1993). He also made a cameo in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series.

In 2012 and 2013, Chester featured in Facebook games Angry Birds Cheetos and Angry Birds Cheetos 2, with new Cheetos-themed power-ups resembling Blue and Bomb birds.

An 18-inch promotional Chester plush with sunglasses and lace-up shoes was produced, followed by a 10-inch version still available today. In 2023, Jada Toys released an action figure of Chester Cheetah.