Cheesy Poofs, South Park and commercialism

Comedy Central is teaming with Frito Lay to create a new brand of snack food - Cheesy Poofs. Yes, the snack food favorite of Eric Cartman and his buddies on South Park. Comedy Central is doing it as a way to recognize the Year of the Fan (and pat themselves on the back) during the 15th season of South Park. Because South Park's typical viewer is 18-34, Comedy Central is using social media to involve the fans. They have a Facebook page and a Twitter following. On Facebook, fans are being asked to create their own avatars that make them look like South Park-drawn characters.
This is one way commercial companies (Frito Lay and Comedy Central) can use social media to piggy back on the success of a product (South Park and now Cheesy Poofs). Though the campaign might be short-lived, it will still make money and open the door for other companies to follow suit.