Things didn’t exactly go 100 percent according to plan for Doritos’ “Crash the Superbowl” competition this year. Newcastle stole some of the brand’s thunder with its mock-entry into the competition, while SumOfUs entered a parody exposing parent company PepsiCo for its role in deforestation due to palm oil harvesting. Nevertheless, the brand ran its top two entrees during the big game: “When Pigs Fly” and “Middle Seat.”
“When Pigs Fly,” brings a familiar blend of cutesiness and low-key humor. When a boy asks for Doritos and is told “when pigs fly,” he doesn’t take that as a straight no (and we’re guessing you can imagine where the idea leads). “Middle Seat,” meanwhile sees a man attempting to lure a woman to an adjacent seat with a bag of Doritos, until he changes his mind.
While neither spot breaks any new ground, “When Pigs Fly” is at least successful enough within the Super Bowl ad formula. “Middle Seat” borders on the offensive, but likely got chuckles from certain crowds anyway. It’s unclear what role, if any, Doritos agency of record GS&P had in bringing the entries to broadcast.