This year, the competition for creators (amateur or professional) was created as a challenge to "do better," responding to social media criticism of previous Doritos Super Bowl ads
After reviewing thousands of submissions following a call for entries in September 2024, Doritos has announced the three finalists for its Crash the Super Bowl contest with the help of Super Bowl experts and Doritos superfans, Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates Chris Jones, Xavier Worthy, and Creed Humphrey.
The finalists are “Abduction,” “Barbershop,” and “Charades.” Fans now have until January 28 to vote on which of these fan-created ads will win a million dollars and air during the big game.
“The legacy of Crash the Super Bowl has always been that Doritos is a fan of its fans. These three final commercials remind us that when a brand puts the fate of its most important advertising moment of the year in the hands of its fans, incredible things can happen. I’m so proud of these final three and the thousands who submitted and participated with their proposals. We can’t wait to see which one the fans choose!” said Tina Mahal, Senior Vice President of Marketing for PepsiCo Foods North America, in a press release.
During its 10-year run from 2006 to 2016, fans participating in the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl campaign created some of the most memorable and talked-about Super Bowl ads in history. The ads made the USA TODAY Ad Meter top five list every year, taking the top spot four times, and some creators went on to become industry professionals.
This year, the competition for creators (amateur or professional) was created as a challenge to “do better,” responding to social media criticism of previous Doritos Super Bowl ads. Notable criticisms include: “I really HATE this ad. Seriously,” “That was so dumb,” “Fire your marketing team, Brutal,” and “Doritos ad? Mediocre.”
“When Doritos originally launched this campaign nearly 20 years ago, it was the first of its kind, and it gave fans unprecedented creative control and ownership of our brand, and on the biggest advertising stage of the year,” Mahal said when the call for entries was launched last September. She emphasized her belief that the best ideas come when you’re willing to be bold, take risks, and stand up for your fans. “Now that our fans have more access than ever to creative and ad-making tools, we’re excited to see what they have up their sleeves,” she added.
The three finalists are filmmakers who share not only a love for Doritos but also for creating.
“Abduction” was created by best friends and co-directors Dylan Bradshaw (Los Angeles-based, originally from Columbus, Ohio) and Nate Norell (born in the Dominican Republic), whose shared passion for storytelling has taken them from humble beginnings to working with some of the most recognized figures and brands in the world. The piece features a hilarious situation where aliens try to steal a bag of Doritos.
“Barbershop” by Zach Shenouda and Ryan Robinson, who grew up in Orange County, California, and met in high school, and bonded over their love of making films. Their ad shows a typical barbershop, where one of the stylists eats Doritos while preparing to cut a customer’s hair, and his cheesy fingers become a great temptation.
“Charades” by Mark Blitch (Wylie, Texas), has worked for a non-profit video production company in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for nearly 20 years, and loves making short films with his friends and hopes to one day direct a feature film. In this proposal, a father fails to pick up on the obvious hint when his wife acts out “Doritos” in a game.
The winner of the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl will be revealed in early February, ahead of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9.
