The NFL championship title wasn't the only prize on the line during The Big Game on Sunday when Scott Zabielski from the U.S. and Graham Talbot from Canada were named winners of the 9th annual Doritos Crash the Super Bowl competition
TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Doritos forever changed the lives of two aspiring filmmakers when the snack brand aired their homemade Doritos advertisements for an audience of more than 100 million people during the live broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday. Scott Zabielski's ad Middle Seat garnered the most fan votes on www.doritos.com earning top honors in this year's Crash the Super Bowl contest. Zabielski, who lives in Los Angeles, California, was awarded $1 million USD and a dream job working at Universal Pictures in Hollywood. Graham Talbot from British Columbia, whose ad When Pigs Fly also aired during the big game, took home $50,000 USD. This is the first time a consumer-created Doritos advertisement by a filmmaker from outside of the United States has won the competition and aired during a Super Bowl, the annual championship game of the National Football League in the U.S., and one of the most-watched television events in the world. To view both of the ads and see the official contest rules, visit www.doritos.com.
Zabielski, a director and producer, created his commercial in a little over a week with the help of family and friends, and a cameo from his young son who played the baby in the spot. The ad, created for $2,000 USD, is based on the premise that everyone knows having an empty middle seat next to you on a plane is like winning the lottery – and you're probably willing to go above and beyond to keep it empty. That is until the perfect seat companion comes by.
Talbot is a freelance producer and director of photography from Maple Ridge, BC, Canada. His commercial – created for just $1,200 USD – is a playful take on the idea that seeing a pig fly is such an improbable sight, many of us use the phrase as a way to avoid a request or favor of some kind. But in Talbot's winning ad, a clever kid engineers a way to make this old saying come true, winning himself his favorite snack as a result.
"Doritos fans all around the world are bold, creative, and passionate about the brand," said Ann Mukherjee, president, PepsiCo Global Snacks Group and PepsiCo Global Insights. "It is an honor to celebrate our first Crash the Super Bowl winner from outside of the United States and to share Graham's work with a global audience. The two Doritos advertisements that aired during the game were among the most original of the day, up against many great spots from the top advertising agencies in the world, and I could not be more proud to support both of the creators. Previous winners have gone on to find great success in the industry and I look forward to seeing wonderful things from Scott and Graham."
The Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest invited consumers to create and submit 30-second homemade advertisements celebrating their love of Doritos tortilla chips. For just the second time in contest history, fans from around the world were invited to participate in the competition, resulting in nearly 4,900 submissions from 29 countries around the world and a record four finalists from outside of the United States. In early January, 10 finalist ads were selected by a qualified panel of judges, including executives from the Doritos brand, advertising professionals and actress/producer Elizabeth Banks — who is making her directorial debut on Pitch Perfect 2 and has starred in critically acclaimed films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Seabiscuit, and Pitch Perfect, as well as global franchises like The Lego Movie, The Hunger Games and Spider-Man.
Each of the 10 Crash the Super Bowl finalists won a trip to Arizona to attend Super Bowl XLIX and watch the game from a private suite, where they tuned in to learn which two advertisements aired. The eight finalists whose commercials did not air during the broadcast each won $25,000 USD.
About Doritos
Doritos is one of the leading brands from PepsiCo's (NYSE: PEP) global snack portfolio. To learn more about the Doritos brand, visit its website at www.doritos.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2013, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth in shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
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About Universal Pictures
Universal Studios Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
BROADCAST / PRINT / TV MEDIA: Broadcast quality video, photo stills and press information is available to preview, download and share at www.magicbulletmedia.com/MNR/crashthesuperbowl
SOURCE PepsiCo Canada
Lee Rothchild, PepsiCo Global Snacks Group, 1-914-253-2839, [email protected]; Alex Thomas, Praxis, 416-617-4498, [email protected]
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