Don't Touch My Doritos

Every year in late January or early February, over a hundred million people tune in to watch the Super Bowl. It is one of the most-watched annual sporting events worldwide, second only to the UEFA Champions League final. The high viewership offers companies a unique opportunity to advertise their products to a wide range of potential customers. In recent years, Super Bowl advertisements have gotten so over-the-top that some people watch the Super Bowl just for the ads. Doritos is one company that has become known for their Super Bowl ads, with their often humorous spots frequently going viral. One such example is a spot from Super Bowl XLIV (2010), “Slap.” This ad relies on the humor of a small child threatening a grown man to catch the audience’s attention and draw it to the Doritos the little boy so fiercely protects. This also suggests to the audience that Doritos are precious and highly valuable, encouraging the viewers to get their own delicious cheesy Doritos.