Doritos today announced plans for its annual Super Bowl ad competition that this year will pit a “consumer-created Super Bowl spot and a Doritos spot to be created by a production team known for creating some uber-cool 'Saturday Night Live' digital shorts" against each other, according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. This is the sixth year for the competition and at stake is a “possible $1 million prize -- and a guaranteed gig to create a future Doritos commercial with The Lonely Island.” If the consumer-generated ad wins USA Today's Ad Meter, the creator wins $1M. If the Lonely Island ad wins, “it will donate the $1 million prize to charity.” The contest will begin “accepting Super Bowl ad submissions on Oct 3” (USA TODAY, 9/27).
HITTING THE BRAKES: AD WEEK’s Andrew McMains reported Mercedes-Benz “won’t be among the auto nameplates returning to the Super Bowl next year.” Mercedes-Benz USA VP/Marketing Steve Cannon said the Super Bowl effort “really represented our headlong plunge into embracing social media and what that will mean to the brand.” He added, “To me, that was one of the lasting benefits.” Cannon said that with just "two major model relaunches in the works" next year -- as well as "no special anniversary -- a return to the game didn’t make sense.” Cannon also “blanched at the price tag,” as NBC is charging up to $3.5M for a 30-second spot. Cannon: “Everybody (is) clamoring for that inventory and paying crazy premiums. So we just said, ‘You know what? We’re going to watch this one from the sidelines.’” Cannon did leave “the door open to returning in 2013 when Mercedes plans to introduce a new class of premium small cars” (ADWEEK.com, 9/26).
