Wayne State students were given the exclusive opportunity to sample a new kind of Doritos earlier this month — the brand’s “No Choice” flavor. 

What exactly do “No Choice” Doritos taste like? Nothing. 

The unmarked silver bag includes only pieces of Doritos-shaped cardboard and a bold message: if you’re not registered to vote, you don’t have a choice. This message, along with an interactive vending machine distributing the exclusive flavor, was brought to campus as part of an ad campaign for Frito-Lay’s Doritos in partnership with Rock the Vote.  

The campaign takes a nonpartisan approach to encourage youth participation in the upcoming election. To best reach their target audience, Doritos and Rock the Vote aimed their message at college campuses, and WSU was selected as the filming location. 

“We’re targeting young Americans. Sixty-two percent of America’s youth didn’t vote in the 2012 election and that needs to change,” said Kurt Mills, a writer with the advertising agency responsible for the ad, Goodby Silverstein & Partners. “We looked at Wayne State and we really liked the campus. We thought the location and the diverse student body would help support the message shared by Doritos and Rock the Vote.” 

The ad — which premiered on National Voter Registration Day — features shots of campus and hidden-camera reactions to an interactive vending machine offering students a choice between Doritos Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch — with a catch. 

Before the chips are dispensed, the vending machine asks patrons if they’re registered to vote, and those who answered “no” were given a bag of the brand’s new flavorless chips. The vending machine — which will start a nationwide campus tour following the ad’s premiere — is also uniquely equipped to provide voter registration services. 

While the ad focuses primarily on the natural reactions of those who used the vending machine, two WSU theatre students were cast in the ad, including freshman Carrie Paveglio. 

“I’ve only been on campus for a few weeks, but I know I made the right choice in coming to Wayne State,” said Paveglio. “To have access to this kind of exposure and experience right away is great.” 

The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016. You can learn more and register to vote at the Michigan Voter Registration Center.