Doritos tortilla chips announced that its consumer-created Doritos commercial, “Underdog,” which aired for the first time nationally the Super Bowl XLIV broadcast, placed second in USA Today’s annual consumer-ranked Super Bowl Ad Meter. This is the fourth year in a row a consumer-created Doritos ad has ranked in the top five and the first time Doritos aired four ads during the Super Bowl. Now, Doritos is paying the talented creator a $600,000 prize for proving that when given the opportunity, amateurs truly can compete with the pros.
“What a testament of power to the people,” said Rudy Wilson, vice president, marketing, Frito-Lay. “Doritos fans have shown us that they have the passion and creativity to compete with seasoned professionals in any industry, and they literally just gave Madison Avenue a run for its money, so we’re giving them the payout they deserve. We knew Joshua had it in him and we are so proud and thrilled to hand over $600,000 to help him set off to pursue his dreams.”
Always passionate about filmmaking, 24-year-old Svoboda knew it was his time to shine when he heard about Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl.” A native of Raleigh, NC, Svoboda entered the contest for a chance to take one of the top three Ad Meter spots and turn his childhood dreams into reality. Over the course of three days and working with a shoestring budget of $200, Joshua cast a friend’s untrained dog as the star of his commercial. The spot takes place in a park in which “man’s best friend” turns the tables on an obnoxious snacker who refuses to share his Doritos chips.
This year, all six Crash the Super Bowl finalists received $25,000 and a trip to the Super Bowl. Grand prizes were based on how each of the winning Doritos ads ranked on the Ad Meter:
— $1 million awarded for an ad that scores number one
— $600,000 awarded for an ad that scores number two
— $400,000 awarded for an ad that scores number three
The Super Bowl Ad Meter tracks the second-by-second responses of a panel of viewers to ads during the national broadcast of the Super Bowl and ranks them favorite to least favorite. Created in 1989, the Ad Meter has been regarded as the most influential Super Bowl ad rating in the ad industry.
