Technically I'm not a complete newbie to the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest. I did write one titled Lookout Point that was produced and entered by my good friends at Key Vision Media a few years back. It didn't win, of course. With a million dollar prize the competition is stiff and ours lacked the shock value (think kick to the nuts, slap to the face, taser, etc.) that all of the winners tend to have each year.
This was the first time I tried to do one on my own. It started with an idea - actually three ideas. The first capitalized on the current zombie craze. The second on the popularity of televised poker and the third on Walter, the world's largest VW bus. All fell apart - from lack of resources, lack of people, or lack of Walter, the world's largest VW bus.
The Saturday before the deadline I woke up with a fresh idea - something that could be shot with the scantest of resources, people, or buses. In the original version I was the actor however, thankfully, it came out painfully out of focus. So I enlisted some help. The second attempt came out pretty well.
While uploading the file to the contest site we had an idea for a second commercial. There were some creative differences between me and the actor's agent, so we entered two versions - the original, or 'leaded' version, and the revised, 'unleaded' take - the only difference being the last line.
Voting begins January 4th. So if you happen to wake up that day feeling all democratic, with an undeniable urge to make your voice heard, you know what to do.
