10 Tips to Help You Win the $1 Million Doritos Superbowl Video Contest

PepsiCo is offering a million dollars to the best consumer-created 30-second spot, which will air during the Superbowl. The “Crash the Superbowl” campaign. Five finalists will receive $25,000 and a trip to the Superbowl.

Should you enter? Sure if you’ve got a killer idea, and are prepared for stiff competition. While many contests languish, these Doritos campaigns tend to have large media campaigns that result in entries from quasi professionals looking to build credibility. So the odds are not in your favor.

Then again, the site has plenty of assets you can use, and there’s plenty of creative freedom for those entering. The Wall Street Journal says PepsiCo is after the pre-game buzz that helps offset the high cost of advertising. But I’d argue nothing tops the post-game buzz about the favorite ad. And if it’s a consumer one that tops recall, I’ll eat Doritos for a week.

But if you’re going to enter, here are some tips (from the guy that is perpetual runners-up on contests, but rarely wins).

1. Stay with material you own. Don’t dare use anything copyrighted that will disqualify you.
2. Go with a rugged look that says “amateur” rather than a polished look that says “cable TV ad.”
3. Humor and sex sell. Put them together with music and you’ve got a winner.
4. Keep it simple. Imagine the viewer is distracted, so use the first few seconds to draw them in.
5. Don’t worry about selling Doritos. Make the ad entertaining and let the product take a support role to the creative idea.
6. Go weird. Good Superbowl ads are weird and memorable.
7. Try to remember a few Superbowl ads from years past. What made them stick out?
8. Test it out on some people… maybe even post a draft on YouTube and see how people respond.
9. Do NOT forget a big finish. That’s what makes an ad pop.
10. Have fun and follow your instincts.

And if you win, send me a friggin’ $100 for inspiring you, eh?