Three Australians make semi-finals of Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl competition
Three Australians have made the semi-finalist list of 29 ads for Doritos Crash the Super Bowl competition, which sees people from around the world submit a 30-second ad for the brand hope their spot will air during the Super Bowl broadcast.
The creator of the ad that receives the most fan votes will also take home a guaranteed $1m grand prize, along with the opportunity to work as a contractor for a full year onsite at Universal Pictures in Hollywood.
Australia’s finalists include freelance director Armand De Saint-Salvy, who has worked extensively on television promos including Ten’s recent promo for the Winter Olympics, freelance director’s assistant Luke Seer Brown, who has worked for the likes of Plaza Films, Clemenger BBDO and The Feds, and Hugh Fleming.
Armand’s entry:
Speaking to Mumbrella on making it through to the semi-finals, Armond said he hopes the exposure will help he secure a full-time gig as an ad director.
He said: “I’m looking to get signed, it’s a pretty tight market. It’s really competitive. I’ve been directing for a number of years, I’m pretty experienced with network promos but I’m kind of new to the advertising world and I’m learning they’re very different worlds. Hopefully something like this will get me some exposure and people will go ‘this guys not too bad, maybe I’ll give him a call and get him to pitch on some work’.”
On entering the competition, Armand said ‘Manchild’ was not the first spot he created for it, but was a last ditch effort after feedback from friends on the original ad.
“About four weeks before the competition closed someone said you should enter this Doritos competition, it’s pretty good publicity for your career if you make it into the semis or the finals so I thought why not, I’ll give it a crack.
“I made a spot and someone said ‘it’s really good, but it’s a bit conservative for Doritos. I don’t think you’re going to make the finals’.
“The weekend before the competition entries closed I made another one, which was the Manchild one. On the Friday I was calling people trying to get a cast, Saturday I got the camera and found a location, Sunday I shot it and Monday I edited it and Monday night I submitted it. It was a bit last minute and I only spent $700 and I was lucky enough to get through, I’m pretty stoked.
“The other spot I spent $3,000 and it didn’t get through, so there you go,” he added.
“It was basically a montage of different stereotypes eating Doritos. It was funny, I liked it but maybe it wasn’t out there enough for Doritos, and as it turns out that person was spot on.”
On the inspiration behind the ad – which sees a man acting like a child with his wife taking the role of a mother controlling his intake of Doritos, Armand said: “I get pretty excited about things and I can act like a child from time to time and I think most blokes do when they’re pumped about something.
“Eating chips is probably one of those things that you shouldn’t do regularly because it’s not that healthy, but when you do it is exciting, especially if you have a wife who’s a bit of a ball breaker.”
Luke Seer Brown said the competition was an opportunity to write and direct an ad.
“I’m super excited at being announced as a semi-finalist in this year’s Doritos Crash the Super Bowl competition. “Meditasting” was for me an opportunity to write and direct an ad, and with the Doritos brand to build on we were able to rally support around our project,” he said.
.I just wanted to make something I enjoyed watching, and hope others will too. Thanks to Doritos for a great opportunity for us Aussies to get seen on the world stage.”
Luke Seer Brown’s entry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OP0f133nPs
Hugh Fleming’s entry:
Last year Australian contender the Finger Cleaner ad made it through to the final stage of the competition clocking up four million views on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw0d7CezPmo
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
Linkedin
Didn’t make the cut, but check it out;
https://vimeo.com/ds2/whateverman
User ID not verified.