
As my beloved Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs battle it out this coming Super Bowl Sunday, another familiar contender will make its return: Doritos. The snack giant is set to drop an $8 million investment for a 30-second spot on Fox, plus an additional $1 million payout for the winning commercial of its legendary Crash the Super Bowl contest.
Sounds generous, right? Except the real winners of this competition aren’t the aspiring filmmakers or advertising creatives.
It’s Doritos. Duh.
A $9 million price tag—but a priceless payoff
Yes, the brand is cutting a hefty check for one commercial. But here’s the real kicker: hundreds of other Doritos ads will continue to circulate for years, all created by filmmakers who spent their own money producing spots that never aired.
From Noah luring animals onto his ark to girls playing flag football with a bag of Doritos, these spec commercials will live on platforms like YouTube and social media, all ending with the same branded tagline and logo—essentially free advertising that the Pepsico-owned brand never had to bankroll.
Think about it. How much would it cost Doritos to commission hundreds of unique, creative, and viral-ready commercials? The answer: a lot more than $9 million.
And we already know the payoff works. In the very first Crash the Super Bowl contest in 2006, Doritos saw a 12% spike in sales in January after airing the fan-made “Live the Flavor” ad. Over the years, their contest-winning commercials frequently topped USA Today’s Ad Meter, proving that **consumer-generated spots resonated just as well—if not better—than high-budget agency-produced ones.
The Filmmakers’ Investment
It’s important to note that these aspiring filmmakers often shelled out their own money to create these commercials, many incorporating special effects and professional production quality. Even when pulling in favors, there are still inherent costs—equipment rentals, location fees, post-production, and more.
This contrasts with other user-generated contests, such as those run by Filmaka in partnership with brands like Ford. In those instances, the process began with soliciting written pitches. Selected concepts were then awarded $5,000 to produce their films.
Turning a Dead Zone Into Free Publicity
Doritos’ marketing genius doesn’t stop at just outsourcing the creative work. They masterfully manipulate the contest’s timeline to create even more buzz.
Between the November 21 entry deadline and the January 3 semifinalist announcement, there’s a natural dead zone—a stretch where audience interest could dip. So what does Doritos do?
They send out “in the running” emails to hopeful contestants, knowing full well that anyone receiving one will immediately post on social media about their status. This is strategic word-of-mouth advertising disguised as community engagement.
Filmmakers share their excitement, urging their networks to watch and support their entries, spreading Doritos branding in the process. By the time the actual finalists are revealed, Doritos has already primed an audience eager to see which spots cut.
Doritos’ Genius User-Generated Content Strategy
With Crash the Super Bowl, Doritos isn’t just buying an ad. They’re buying a year-round digital marketing machine powered by filmmakers who, knowingly or not, are building Doritos’ brand for free.
This approach achieves what traditional advertising struggles with:
✔ Authenticity – Fans connect with spots made by real people, not ad agencies.
✔ Longevity – Even “losing” commercials live online, spreading brand awareness.
✔ Engagement – Filmmakers, friends, and family share and promote these ads themselves.
Super Bowl Ads Are a One-Time Buy—Crash the Super Bowl Ads Are Forever
Most Super Bowl spots air once, maybe a few times post-game. But Crash the Super Bowl ads? They have an infinite shelf life. YouTube compilations, nostalgia posts, and “best-of” lists keep them circulating for years.
That’s millions of additional eyeballs on Doritos—without the brand spending a dime beyond the contest itself.
So when the game ends and the final Doritos ad plays, the true MVP isn’t on the field, or even on the screen. It’s Doritos’ marketing team, who just pulled off another year of free, crowd-sourced advertising—all thanks to ambitious filmmakers and the lure of a Super Bowl dream.

Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
REELated:
Sometimes what we see, is really what we see