Latest nacho chip flavor marries a condiment to onion rings

(Doritos)

In a heated flavor battle between Buffalo Wings N' Ranch and Onion Rings N' Ketchup, nacho chip giant Doritos gave one consumer from Quebec, Canada complete control to choose which flavor will line store shelves.

Mélanie Normandin of Quebec won $25,000 and will receive one percent of future sales of Onion Rings N' Ketchup, after judges chose her script to end an incomplete commercial the marketing team launched in February. The winner was announced Friday.

Doritos' The End contest challenged Canadians to write a 400-character ending to an existing Doritos commercial, in which scientists at the "Doritos Research Facility" present both flavors to, presumably, a pink-haired nacho chip queen.

Normandin's ending titled "Because Mother Knows Best" beat 29,923 other contest entries and garnered 2,221 votes.

Her decision to keep Onion Rings N' Ketchup, is a decidedly Canadian one as Canada is the envy of its southern neighbors for possessing ketchup-flavored chips, also a Frito-Lay product.

Meanwhile, a similar campaign launched by Doritos in the UK, King of Ads, also invited the public to create the company's next commercial. Craig Young's "Attack on Westminster" was crowned the winner and aired across the UK last June. The contest website itself was also nominated for a Webby award this year.

The use of public participation and contests to promote new flavors has become a growing trend in the snack food industry.

Last year, UK chip giant Walkers also launched a nationwide contest, the Walkers Flavour Cup, and asked consumers to vote for their favorite chip among 15 international flavors.

Flavors ranged from Scottish Haggis, American Cheeseburger, Australian BBQ Kangaroo, French Garlic Baguette and Japanese Teriyaki Chicken.

But like the Canadian outcome, voters took a patriotic route and voted for English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding as the winner.

The Doritos Onion Rings N' Ketchup is now available in Canada.

To watch the winning commercial, visit http://www.writetheend.ca/en/.