-By Lindsay Gordon

Instead of a concert ticket, Doritos is asking consumers to buy a bag of its Late Night chips in order to check out exclusive blink-182 and Big Boi concert footage.

To gain entry to Doritoslatenight.com, fans must point a special symbol located on the back of Doritos Late Night special-edition bags at their Web cam. Once the symbol is accepted, they can view a virtual concert shown in 3-D.

The Doritos promotion helps to launch blink-182’s nearly sold-out summer tour beginning on July 24. It also complements the band’s own interest in fusing music and technology, said Mark Hoppus, vocalist and bassist of blink-182. “We’re always looking for innovative new ways to bring music to our fans, and an online 3-D performance was something we just had to be a part of. As big technology guys, we’re pumped that people can now experience a little bit of our summer tour through something as accessible as bag of Doritos and a computer. It’s very cool.”

Viewers can create a personalized experience depending on the way they hold, move, and shake the bag. The songs “Rock Show” and “I Miss You” by blink-182 and “Ringtone” by Big Boi are part of the lineup.

Doritos Late Night flavors Tacos at Midnight and Last Call Jalapeno Popper were launched in April 2009 by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division. Retailing at a suggested price of $3.99 for a 13.8-ounce bag or $1.29 for a 3.6-ounce bag, the special-edition bags are available for a limited time at retailers nationwide.

Doritos is no stranger to innovating via its Internet marketing. Its “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign, launched in 2007, made it the first brand to air a consumer-created TV spot during the big game. Last year, it used the Super Bowl to launch the music career of Doritos fan and aspiring artist Kina Grannis.

Doritos spent $13 million on media last year, per Nielsen. For the first four months of 2009, it doled out $8 million.

- Nielsen Business Media