PLANO, Texas, Jan. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Selected from thousands of submissions representing 30 countries around the world, the Doritos brand today announced the five finalists for the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" contest who are vying for a $1 million (U.S.) grand prize. Fans are now invited to vote for the best ad on www.doritos.com from January 4 through January 29. Ultimately, two ads will air in front of a global television audience during Super Bowl XLVIII — one selected by the world's votes and one by the Doritos brand team. The two lucky winners will have the opportunity to work with Marvel Studios on the set of "Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron," and for the first time in Doritos Crash the Super Bowl history, the creator of the ad that receives the most fan votes will win a guaranteed $1 million in prize money. This marks the first year PepsiCo's Doritos brand has opened its annual "Crash the Super Bowl" contest to fans from around the world where Doritos tortilla chips are sold. Visit www.doritos.com to view the ads and full contest rules.
The five Crash the Super Bowl finalist ads (in alphabetical order by finalist last name) are:
A qualified panel of judges, including executives from the Doritos brand, advertising professionals and the legendary Stan Lee of Pow! Entertainment -- chairman emeritus of Marvel Comics and co-creator of such Super Heroes as Iron Man™, Spider-Man™ and others -- selected the five finalist ads.
"As someone who has brought comic book characters to life for an entire career, I know what it takes to tell a great story," Stan Lee said. "In just 30 seconds, these five finalists tell incredible stories -- each with their own style -- and have left me truly blown away."
"When the Doritos brand first launched Crash the Super Bowl, the concept of user-generated content was brand new," said Ram Krishnan, vice president of marketing, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "Since then, the amount of content created and shared on a global level has grown to an astounding rate. We were so excited by the global response to this year's contest, and are thrilled to now spotlight two finalist ads on one of the world's biggest advertising stages."
Each of the five Crash the Super Bowl finalists are invited to East Rutherford, N.J., to attend Super Bowl XLVIII and watch the game from a private luxury suite, where they will tune in to learn which two finalist spots will air. The creators of both winning ads will receive the opportunity to work on the set of "Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron" and the ad with the highest total number of votes will win its creator the $1 million grand prize. The runner-up will receive $50,000 (U.S.). The three finalists whose commercials don't air during the broadcast will each win $25,000 (U.S.). The Super Bowl XLVIII broadcast is set for Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, on FOX.
As one of the leading snack brands in the world, Doritos has a presence in 46 countries and six continents. With flavors ranging from Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch to Sweet Chili Pepper and Tangy Cheese, the worldwide Doritos portfolio currently offers more than 70 unique varieties.
PepsiCo's relationship with the NFL is among the company's longest-running and most-successful sports sponsorships. PepsiCo has leveraged its relationship with the NFL to connect with consumers throughout the season with activations spanning many of the company's largest food and beverage brands, including Pepsi, Tostitos, Quaker, Doritos and Gatorade.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com.
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 is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
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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
The NFL Entities (as defined in the Official Rules) have not offered or sponsored this contest in any way.
SOURCE Doritos