Dive Brief:

• Frito-Lay brand Doritos is running a "Crash from Home" contest that calls on fans to create the first new Doritos commercial to air since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the company shared with Marketing Dive.
• The winners of the user-generated ad competition will earn a portion of the $150,000 prize pool and a chance to see their ad air during the first NFL Sunday Night Football game on Sept. 13. Doritos will select 15 winners and splice their videos together in a compilation video.
• The brand is promoting the contest on social media with a teaser video and the hashtag #CrashFromHome. Consumers can enter at a microsite through July 28.

Dive Insight:

Doritos' new effort aims to engage its loyal fans at a time when most consumers are still at home and seeking entertainment and, for some, ways to earn extra money amid layoffs, furloughs and national unemployment at record levels.

The Frito-Lay chip brand has a history of incorporating fan submissions for ads via social media contests. A decade ago, the Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign was the first time the brand gave people the opportunity to play a part in developing a Super Bowl commercial.

The current pandemic has been particularly hard on people working in production, music and the arts, as stay-at-home orders have prevented these individuals — who often rely on events and travel — to earn their normal living. Doritos aims to show support for the creative community through its latest challenge that calls on creatives and fans.

Supporting the arts aligns with Doritos' past strategy, which has enlisted pop cultural icons and musicians in previous ads. The chip brand ran a popular Super Bowl spot earlier this year starring hip-hop artist Lil Nas X and country musician Billy Ray Cyrus to promote the Cool Ranch line.

Now, Doritos is similarly leaning into destination viewing events around football to snap up support from sports-starved fans. The return of NFL games in September is a widely anticipated event as cancellations of professional sports during lockdowns was seen as a big loss among fans and ad sponsors. Viewership during Draft Day this spring was higher than usual, buzz that may overflow into the rescheduled kickoff of NFL events come September. Frito-Lay has an opportunity to reach a wide audience with a fresh campaign that may resonate with homebound consumers seeking more community connection.