Doritos' "Crash the Super Bowl" contest has been "a staple of Super Bowl advertising" for the past 10 years, and PepsiCo this season is "putting the contest to bed with what it is calling its 'most audacious' version of the contest yet," according to Kristina Monllos of ADWEEK. Contestants have the chance to win $1M and the opportunity to "work with Zack Snyder, director of '300' and 'Man of Steel,' whose latest film, 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,' will be released next March." The winner "will work with Snyder as well as Warner Brothers and DC Comics on an undisclosed future project." Doritos "will accept submissions until Nov. 15," with the ads "judged by a qualified panel of judges, including Frito-Lay executives." Three finalists "will be announced in January." Doritos "has awarded" about $7M in prize money since starting its Super Bowl ad campaign in '06 (ADWEEK.com, 9/9). AD AGE's E.J. Schultz reported only one winning Doritos ad "will air during the Super Bowl," compared to two in recent years. Frito-Lay VP/Marketing Jeff Klein in an email wrote of why the brand is ending its "Crash" campaign now, "After 10 years of success, the time was right to find that next great program." Schultz noted there is also a "numerical significance to bowing out now: Super Bowl 50 comes as Doritos celebrates its 50th anniversary" (ADAGE.com, 9/9).
