Cheetos went big for Super Bowl LIX this past weekend. The 2025 Super Bowl took place in New Orleans and the snack brand made waves with it’s Cheese of the Seas riverboat activation. This activation featured a massive inflatable Chester Cheetah, the beloved Cheetos mascot, lounging on top of Riverboat Louis Armstrong. The giant inflatable was designed and manufactured by Inflatable Design Group (IDG) and sailed down the Mississippi River for days leading up to the big game. This larger-than-life inflatable activation stunned locals, tourists, and Super Bowl fans, many of who stopped to take pictures of the activation and posted them to social media, creating a successful marketing activation.
A Closer Look at the Giant Inflatable Chester Cheetah
The giant inflatable Chester Cheetah was 60 feet tall, 125 feet long, and weighed around 1,700 pounds, making it impossible to miss as it glided down the Mississippi River the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Designed and built by IDG’s expert team, this custom inflatable perfectly captured Chester’s signature laid-back attitude, complete with his iconic sunglasses and stretched-out lounging pose.
Cheetos completely transformed the riverboat Louis Armstrong into a floating, bright-orange masterpiece that demanded attention from everyone on shore. At the very top IDG’s inflatable Chester Cheetah lounged like he owned the river. The inflatable Chester Cheetah laid back on a giant inflatable football customized with the Super Bowl LIX logo, he had a trumpet in one hand and his other hand was covered in Cheeto dust.
How the ‘Cheese of the Seas’ Stole the Spotlight
As the riverboat cruised by the shore, people lined up, snapping pictures and videos, flooding social media and drawing attention to the floating activation.
Instagram user @johnsanpietro3 perfectly summed up the spectacle with a post:
You can come here on the 400-foot, $360 million mega-yacht, Kismet, featuring six decks, three pools, four fireplaces, a pickleball and basketball court, two fire pits, a cryotherapy chamber, a sauna, a Turkish bath, helipad, salon, spa, indoor and outdoor theater, dance floor gym, and elevator…. Or you can come here on the Cheese of the Seas Riverboat, featuring a giant inflatable Chester Cheetah”
The giant inflatable Chester Cheetah didn’t just dominate social feeds, it also caught the attention of news outlets across the country. Articles from WDSU and 21 Alive News highlighted the activation, featuring photos and videos of the towering inflatable drifting along the river. Meanwhile, fans on Reddit debated whether this was the coolest or cheesiest stunt they’d even seen, sparking even more conversation.
Why Giant Inflatables Work for Brand Activations
Brands keep coming back to giant inflatables for high-impact marketing stunts, and that is because these activations demand attention.
When a massive inflatable Chester Cheetah floats down the Mississippi River, people stop and look. They snap photos. They share. And just like that, the brand spreads far beyond the physical event, reaching millions of people online.
Another reason brands turn to inflatables for their marketing campaigns is that inflatables create engagement. People don’t just admire them, they interact with them. Whether posing for photos, sharing videos, or debating their sheer size, audiences become part of the experience. Unlike traditional advertising, inflatables turn brand activations into shareable, viral moments that live on long after the event ends.
How Inflatable Design Group Brought Chester to Life
At Inflatable Design Group we specialize in turning big ideas into reality. Designing a giant inflatable Chester Cheetah that is 120 feet long requires precision, creativity, and expert craftsmanship. Every stitch, every shade of orange, and every curve of Chester’s signature pose was carefully engineered at our San Diego facility to ensure he looked just right. Once completed, the inflatable traveled to New Orleans, where it took center stage on the Cheese of the Seas, solidifying itself as one of the most unforgettable brand activations at the Super Bowl.
A Super Bowl Activation Done Right
Cheetos set the bar high with the Cheese of the Seas, proving that bigger, bolder, and cheesier is always better when it comes to Super Bowl activations. The inflatable Chester Cheetah wasn’t just an ad; it was an unexpected spectacle, creating a fun experience that had people talking, posting, and engaging in ways traditional marketing could never.
If your brand wants to create a super-sized marketing moment, Inflatable Design Group has you covered. We specialize in custom inflatables that grab attention, generate buzz, and make lasting impressions, just like Chester did in New Orleans.
Ready to start on your own super-sized moment? Email us at info@inflatabledesigngroup.com for a free quote and get started today!