Doritos: DIPS DESPERADO

Credits & Description:

Category: Food and Non-Alcholic Drinks

Advertiser: PEPSICO

Product/Service: DORITOS

Agency: ABBOTT MEAD VICKERS BBDO

Executive Creative Director: Paul Brazier (AMV BBDO)

Creative Director: Mark Fairbanks (AMV BBDO)

Creative Team: Tim Vance/Paul Knott/Jeremy Tribe/Prabs Wignarajah (AMV BBDO)

Producer: Suzy MacGregor (AMV BBDO)

Production Company: (Independent)

Director: Gary Freeman (Glue Society)

Producers: Jani Guest/Jason Kemp

DOP: Ray Coates

Editor: Adam Jenkins

Music: (Human)

Post Production: (The Mill)

Sound Design: (750)

Digital Producer: Suzanne Melia (AMV BBDO)

Digital Producer: Steve Bond (AMV BBDO)

Digital Production: (Acne)

Media placement: TV 30 - FILM 4, ITV, CHANNEL 4 - AUGUST 2011

Media placement: ONLINE FILM 3 MIN - YOU TUBE, DORITOS WEBSITE - AUGUST 2011

Media placement: ONLINE FILM 2 MIN - YOU TUBE, DORITOS WEBSITE - AUGUST 2011

Media placement: MOBILE GAME - IPHONE/ANDROID - AUGUST 2011

Media placement: FACEBOOK GAME - FACEBOOK - AUGUST 2011



Describe the objective of the promotion.

Doritos is a sharing brand. But while their chips were flying off the shelves for social snacking, it seemed that consumers weren’t buying Doritos dips to complete the experience. So we needed to put Doritos chips and dips together in the minds of consumers.



Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.

Testing the theory that games alter consumer behaviour, we created a game around dipping chips into jars of salsa. To stand out in the app store, we did this in 2 ways. Firstly, we invented the Mexican sport of El Flicko – the art of flicking chips into salsa. Esteban Ortega, the greatest chipflicker who never lived, became the star of a promotional online film. Secondly, we incentivised the game in social media with real-world prizes. Esteban’s online/mobile game was even more popular than the man himself, with weekly prizes awaiting those who could outplay their network of friends.



Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service.

Doritos is an entertainment brand. We had explored TV shows, music videos and creative competitions in the past. The mobile game promotion was the logical next step for the brand and perfectly-suited to our target audience of 18-24 year-olds. Most importantly, the game had the consumer behaviour we were trying to encourage right at its heart, but was ridiculous enough to not feel overtly product-focused. The online film, with its unresolved ending, effectively tapped into YouTube culture to help make the game famous.



Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results.

The game was awarded in several print and online publications, with over 2m plays in the first month.

Esteban found his way into the heats of the nation when the client decided to follow up his online success with TV and cinema placements:

"Possibly the most gripping ending since inception."

"Absolutely EPIC."

"They really must make a movie of this."

But did the promotion get the nation dipping? Si Señor! As a direct result of the campaign, we saw a 25% uplift in sales of dips, biggest in Doritos history. Not bad for the greatest Mexican tradition that never was.