Doritos Gives Nod to 25 Semi-Finalists to Revive Super Bowl ‘Crash’ Commercial Contest

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Doritos comes in flavors that run the gamut from Cool Ranch to Flamin’ Hot Limon. At Super Bowl LIX, however, executives behind the popular chip will focus on a classic recipe.

Frito-Lay, the snack-food giant that is part of PepsiCo, is relaunching Doritos’ famous “Crash the Super Bowl” contest this year and has narrowed down thousands of entries into 25 semi-finalists whose efforts to create a big-screen Super Bowl ad could pay off big time.

Any winners will have a chance for their ad to be aired during the Big Game and win $1 million. For PepsiCo and Frito-Lay, that will only add to the costs of playing in the Super Bowl.

Fox, which plans to televise the grand event on February 9, has sought more than $7 million from some 30-second ad berths, Even though modern aspirants have all kinds of new technology at their beck and call, ranging from high-tech smartphone cameras to a suite of digital video-editing tools, “I still think you have to have a great idea,” says Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer at PepsiCo’s food operations. “It’s gotta have a certain amount of polish.