Doritos’ “Middle Seat” came out of a “Crash the Super Bowl” contest. One winner received a grand prize of $1 million and a dream job at Universal Pictures.
The ad, where a person on an aisle seat of a plane discourages people from sitting next to him, until he thinks he sees the perfect blonde, made people laugh. It also tied in a positive brand impression to an already well-known product line.
It shows that getting thousands of entries from countries all over the world, can result in a funny and well-received ad. Plus, what happens is that people want to see the other ads in the contest and Doritos’ YouTube channel encourages this type of viewership to take place. Increased eyeballs and subscribers leads to additional earned media and brand exposure.
Most entertaining
BMW i3’s "Newfangled Idea" commercial had a glimpse of TV history and laughs. It starts with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel seen in old television footage struggling to understand the internet. The spot then flashes 21 years later to see the same pair not understanding the new technology behind a new car.
This commercial has fun of those that have not quickly understood technological advancements in the past and teases them into wanting to learn more about a new car. It also creates some laughs which helps make it entertaining and memorable.
Snickers’ “Brady Bunch” ad gets an honorable mention in this category for showing what Marsha and Jan look like when they get hungry. As the past Betty White version was such a hit, this year’s version was overshadowed.
Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” ad also gets an honorable mention for having a puppy get saved by Clydesdales. In seeing kids react to this ad, I know the company is indirectly winning over future customers when they grow up and can drink beer.
Best at segmenting an audience
Always’ “#LikeAGirl” commercial knew when the most women, who are the users of their products, focus the most on the game – during the Katy Perry halftime show. The ad pointed out that our culture takes away girls’ confidence during puberty and somehow the saying ‘like a girl’ has become an insult.