Doritos Super Bowl Commercial By Angelenos Wins $1 Million Prize
The results for Doritos' Crash The Super Bowl TV commercial contest were announced Tuesday night, awarding a team of locals, including a toddler from El Segundo, with $1 million (to be said with pinky finger pointed at corner of mouth).
Jonah Folk, also known as "Sling Baby," per the commercial name, is a 17-month-old toddler who can already fly. In case you were running to the loo on Sunday and missed this gem, the spot, created by West L.A. resident Kevin Willson, features Jonah bouncing in his baby swing while his rotten older brother taunts him with Doritos from the top of their backyard playset. Siding with young Jonah, his grandmother slingshots her grandson through the air. Victory is Jonah's; he snatches the bag and returns to grandma's lap.
Doritos hosted the contest and encouraged consumers to create 30-second spots featuring their nacho cheese chips. The top two commercials aired during the Super Bowl and were in the running for the cash prize. If either commercial scored the number one spot on the USA Today Ad Meter or the USA Today Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter, it would win the grand prize of $1 million. After three days of voting, "Sling Baby" ranked highest on the Facebook Ad Meter. The spot scored 4.33 out of 5. It won the number four spot on the USA Today Ad Meter.
Jonah's dad, Justin Folk, works as a post-production editor and handled the commercial's visual effects. About 35 to 40 other people helped create the spot, and Justin told The Daily Breeze, "Everybody's getting a piece."
As part of the winnings, Willson will go on to create another Doritos ad with The Lonely Island, the musical trio comprised of funnymen Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The 34-year-old filmmaker told The OC Register that winning the contest was "surreal," and his triumph certainly proves that persistence pays off. This was his third time as a finalist in the contest. "It’s literally a dream I’ve been chasing forever," said Willson.
