Doritos and Pepsi MAX Reveal Top 10 Super Bowl Ads for 2011 Voting Starts Today

Doritos and Pepsi MAX Reveal Ten Consumer-Created Commercials Vying for $5 Million Payout, an Advertising Contract and Air Time During Super Bowl XLV Consumers Nationwide Eligible to Win Tickets to Super Bowl XLV by Voting for Favorite Ads at www.crashthesuperbowl.com

PLANO, Texas and PURCHASE, New York /PRNewswire/ — Following a review of more than 5,600 creative submissions – the most ever in a single year of competition – Doritos and Pepsi MAX today revealed the names of the 10 finalists in the Crash the Super Bowl challenge. These 10 finalists will go on to compete to be one of six consumer-created ads – three for Doritos and three for Pepsi MAX – airing during the Super Bowl XLV broadcast, Feb. 6, on FOX.

As the contest enters its next phase, Doritos and Pepsi MAX fans in the United States are invited to vote for their favorite ads, helping to ultimately decide which spots air on the Super Bowl stage. If during the Super Bowl, consumer-created Doritos or Pepsi MAX ads sweep the top three rankings of the USA TODAY Ad Meter, their creators will take home a shared $5 million prize. In addition, the fan who creates the highest-ranking Doritos or Pepsi MAX ad will win a guaranteed contract to create an additional ad for the two brands in 2011.

The 10 finalist ads (in alphabetical order) are:

“Adam and Eve” by Stephen Schuster (Doritos)
“Birthday Wish” by Heather Kasprzak (Doritos)
“Elevator Girl” by Michael Doneger (Pepsi MAX)
“First Date” by Nick Simotas (Pepsi MAX)
“House Sitting” by Tynesha Williams (Doritos)
“Love Hurts” by Brad Bosley (Pepsi MAX)
“Pug Attack” by JR Burningham (Doritos)
“The Best Part” by Tyler Dixon (Doritos)
“Torpedo Cooler” by Brendan Hayward (Pepsi MAX)
“Zero Calories? Psshh” by Brandy Gill (Pepsi MAX)

“From the beginning, we set out to make this the biggest Crash the Super Bowl ever and give our fans even more opportunities to showcase their creativity,” said Rudy Wilson, vice president, marketing, Frito-Lay. “We were blown away by how our fans responded. They not only submitted the most ads ever in the contest’s history, but proved once again they have the talent to compete at the highest level.”

Since Crash the Super Bowl began in 2007, consumer-created Doritos ads have consistently ranked within the top-five spots of the USA TODAY Ad Meter, and last year the talent of Doritos fans made it the most-talked-about brand coming out of the game. This year marks the first time Pepsi MAX has partnered with Doritos for the groundbreaking contest. “As we re-launch Pepsi MAX, we are thrilled to be returning to the Super Bowl as part of the Crash the Super Bowl contest for the first time ever,” said Angelique Krembs, vice president, Pepsi Cola Marketing. “We’re excited by the creativity of the ads submitted by our Pepsi MAX fans. And as we enter this next phase of the contest we’re eager to see which ads America will pick to run during the Super Bowl broadcast.”

Beginning today through January 31, 2011, fans can vote for their favorite submissions, with the most-voted ads taking four of the six spots that air during the Super Bowl – two for Doritos and two for Pepsi MAX. In addition, Doritos and Pepsi MAX executives will each select a winning spot for their respective brands, bringing the total spots airing on game day to six. There are four ways for fans to vote this year – through the official contest website, www.crashthesuperbowl.com, through their smart phones at m.crashthesuperbowl.com, via Xbox LIVE® and through banner advertisements on select websites. Votes can be cast once a day, per platform, per brand.

To encourage fans to vote, Doritos and Pepsi MAX will give away two pairs of Super Bowl tickets every day of the voting period to consumers who make their selections through the official program website. More information about the four voting platforms and details about this vote-and-win offer, including official rules, are also available on the website.

Each of the 10 finalists will win $25,000 and a trip to Dallas to attend Super Bowl XLV, where they will learn for the first time during the broadcast which six ads will air for a worldwide audience. Potential grand prizing for the contest will be based on how each of the six winning ads ranks on the USA TODAY Ad Meter:

$1 million for an ad that scores the No. 1 ranking on the USA TODAY Ad Meter
$600,000 for an ad that scores the No. 2 ranking on the USA TODAY Ad Meter
$400,000 for an ad that scores the No. 3 ranking on the USA TODAY Ad Meter

If the consumer-created Doritos or Pepsi MAX ads sweep all top three rankings of the USA TODAY Ad Meter, an additional $1 million bonus will be awarded to each winner for a total prize giveaway of $5 million. The USA TODAY Super Bowl Ad Meter tracks the second-by-second responses of a panel of viewers to ads during the national broadcast of the Super Bowl and ranks them favorite to least favorite. Created in 1989, USA TODAY’s Ad Meter has been regarded as the most influential Super Bowl ad rating in the advertising industry.

Doritos tortilla chips is one of the billion-dollar brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP – News), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Pepsi MAX is one of PepsiCo’s billion-dollar global brands and is part of Pepsi Americas Beverages. To learn more about Pepsi MAX, visit the Pepsi Max tab on Pepsi’s Facebook page at: www.pepsimax.com or on Twitter at: twitter.com/pepsimax. To learn more about Doritos, visit its website at www.doritos.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DoritosUSA.

PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo’s people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

Read more

Super Bowl XLV: Atlanta Falcons vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Super Bowl XLV Prediction

I love that new playoff smell...it's intoxicating. So intoxicating that I'm predicting a wild (but not impossible) Super Bowl match up for this year's Lombardi Trophy. It's so crazy that I'm going to have to lay low for a while to avoid being hauled off to a white room with padded walls. I'm predicting that come Sunday, February 6th, you will see the Atlanta Falcons take the field against the Kansas City Chiefs for all of the marbles.

Atlanta's Road to Super Bowl Sunday

The NFC has the most playoff intrigue this year. They boast last year's Super Bowl Champions in the New Orleans Saints and they also have a revitalized Philadelphia Eagles team that's led by one of the hottest media-friendly redemption stories in recent pro football history in Michael Vick.

Atlanta benefits from a first round bye week and from home field advantage. With Matt Ryan under center, the Falcons play extraordinarily well at home. And while there are some high-caliber teams representing the NFC this year, none of them will be able to beat the Falcons for four quarters. Atlanta has stayed healthy throughout the entire season and they are firing on all cylinders. As long as they don't beat themselves, they should do a fine job of making it to Dallas.

Kansas City's Road to Super bowl Sunday

I expect this one to come off as a head-scratcher to most of you, but you need to believe. KC undoubtedly has one of the toughest roads to Jerry World this year, but they can do it. This is a very young and very talented team. They only have one home loss during their entire season. That last home loss did a few things that the Chiefs needed to have happen before stepping foot onto the big stage this weekend. 1) It humbled the Chiefs and it will put a sense of urgency to play well on their offensive line...it's do or die time and 2) It eliminated the pressure of being undefeated at home—they got that out of the way with their loss to the Raiders.

Arrowhead stadium is one of pro football's most difficult places for opponents to play and the Chiefs will need EVERY advantage they can get, especially against a Ray Lewis fueled defense. I'm not expecting any of the Chiefs playoff wins to be pretty for the club, but I think they'll be amped up to be in the playoffs for the first time since their last wild-card appearance in 2007. This talented team will find a way to get it done. Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe have been clicking throughout the season and as long as Jamaal Charles is healthy, he'll be the difference maker the team needs to succeed. Now is the time for Todd Hayley to go away from Thomas Jones and let Charles make the plays the Chiefs will desperately need to have a fighting chance.

Super Bowl XLV

There are a lot of good stories surrounding a Chiefs/Falcons Super Bowl: Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White vs. Dwayne Bowe, two up and coming QBs dueling it out, and which defense will show up. Ultimately, I think Atlanta's bye week is the difference maker in this matchup. Kansas City will show up exhausted from having squeaked by the best the AFC has to offer and they will be no match for the caliber of football that Atlanta will play. Cinderella will have to go bye-bye for another year and the Falcons will capture their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

Read more

Super Bowl 2011 Date Wide Open for Several Teams

The Super Bowl 2011 date is on February 6. But although the Super Bowl 2011 date is set, the teams involved won't get their invites for another three weeks. They have to win either two or three games beforehand, and defeat the best teams in their conference. Some franchises appear to have a clear road towards that goal, while others face longer odds. Yet although most expect the Super Bowl 2011 to include the Patriots, many other postseason squads have hope as well.

For the last two years, the Patriots have not been in their accustomed position, as championship favorites. But after missing the playoffs in 2008, and losing in the first round last year, the Patriots are back on their familiar pedestal.

The odds for the Super Bowl 2011 to have another AFC club involved are a bit long. However, the Steelers, Ravens, Colts, Jets and Chiefs would be favored in any other year, given their accomplishments. Yet aside from the Chiefs, the Patriots have beaten every other AFC team on the field this season - with the Steelers and Jets getting blown out.

If any team can unseat the Patriots, it might come from the AFC North. The Steelers have the second seed, while the Ravens were the last visitor to win in New England, and took them to overtime early this year. However, the Patriots weren't on this kind of roll when the Ravens faced them last.

While the Patriots are the clear Super Bowl 2011 favorite from the AFC, experts are more split over an NFC champion. The Falcons, Bears, Eagles, Saints and Packers all have strong cases to win the conference, but all of them could just as easily flame out.

The Falcons have a strong home field advantage, yet Matt Ryan hasn't won a playoff game yet. The Bears have the second seed, although they still have a lot of doubters. The Eagles were proclaimed an NFC favorite two weeks, but they have stumbled since then. The Saints are the defending champs, but they aren't as overwhelming as last season. The Packers have massive potential and a healthy Aaron Rodgers, though they have been up and down all year.

Read more

Doritos and Pepsi Max Super Bowl Ads Voting 2011 started Today

The Super Bowl 2011 takes place on February 6th, but you can watch already possible Super Bowl ads today. Doritos and Pepsi Max have opened the public voting on the user submitted Super Bowl 2011 ads. Possibly the biggest contest for TV commercials, the Crash The Super Bowl contest is entering the final phase in deciding which ads will run during Super Bowl 2011 for Doritos and Pepsi Max. This year the Crash The Super Bowl ad contest received 5,600 submissions.

For Super Bowl XLV PepsiCo, owner of Doritos brand, has decided to add Pepsi Max to the new Crash the Super Bowl contest. This means that the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest now will have six winning Super Bowl ad spots, three for Doritos and three for Pepsi Max. The Crash the Super Bowl contest once again has a huge $5 million in prize money. To get a piece of the $5 million the winning Super Bowl ads need to score one of the top three spots in the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter. If all top three spots are won by Crash the Super Bowl Ads the full $5 million are distributed.

Starting today you can vote on the final selection of submitted Doritos and Pepsi Max Ads. There are five finalist commercials for each product. Each day until the voting closes in 28 days you can give a vote for your favorite Doritos and Pepsi Max Super Bowl 2011 ad.

The 10 finalist ads (in alphabetical order) are:

    * "Adam and Eve" by Stephen Schuster (Doritos) (Photo)
    * "Birthday Wish" by Heather Kasprzak (Doritos)
    * "Elevator Girl" by Michael Doneger (Pepsi MAX)
    * "First Date" by Nick Simotas (Pepsi MAX)
    * "House Sitting" by Tynesha Williams (Doritos)
    * "Love Hurts" by Brad Bosley (Pepsi MAX)
    * "Pug Attack" by JR Burningham (Doritos)
    * "The Best Part" by Tyler Dixon (Doritos)
    * "Torpedo Cooler" by Brendan Hayward (Pepsi MAX)
    * "Zero Calories? Psshh" by Brandy Gill (Pepsi MAX)

Read more

Super Bowl XLV could be NFL's last game in quite some time

The final game of the 2010 NFL season will be played Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium when the AFC and NFC champions meet in the Super Bowl . It could be the final NFL game of the 2011 calendar year as well. The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL owners and the NFL Players Association expires March 3. If no extension is reached, the owners plan to lock out the players March 4. Football activity will not resume until the two sides can agree on a new CBA, which could jeopardize the 2011 season. About three dozen negotiating sessions have been held since the owners opted out of the current CBA in May 2008. Last month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached by the Super Bowl.

"I believe this becomes harder if the deal expires in March," Goodell said. "I don't have a deadline. I won't be satisfied until we get it done. That's our priority, and we want to get it done as soon as possible." Goodell followed up with an e-mail to thousands of NFL fans this week, saying, "I know we can and will reach an agreement." The players do not share his optimism, however. "At the end of the day, we don't have a deal done," said Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel, a member of the NFLPA executive committee. "So you can say there's a little bit of progress, a lot of progress or no progress. But is there or is there not a deal? Right now there's not. How far are we from that? Nobody knows."

Bottom line

There has been talk of increasing the length of the season and the size of rosters, reducing off-season programs and establishing a rookie wage scale. But the bottom line in this standoff is money. The trouble started brewing in March 2006 when the owners agreed to a radical change in the CBA to extend the deal through 2011. Under the agreement negotiated in 1993, the players shared upward of 62 percent of the league's "designated" gross revenue. That was revenue derived primarily from national TV contracts and ticket sales. The owners were allowed to keep revenue from stadium luxury suites, parking, concessions, merchandising, signage and the like.

In 2005, the designated gross revenue accounted for 87 percent of all NFL revenue. The players received a 64.5 percent cut of that. But in 2006, in extending the CBA through the 2011 season, the owners agreed to put all revenue into one pot to be split with the players. In exchange, the players allowed the owners to take $1 billion off the top for stadium costs. The players would then receive 59.5 percent of the remaining revenues.

It took two years for the owners to realize that labor model was not working for them, so they opted out. As a consequence, the final season of the current CBA was played in 2010 without a salary cap. Owners initially pitched at the bargaining table an 18 percent reduction in the players' take of league revenues. Essentially, the owners wanted another $1 billion taken off the top. Talks have been chilly ever since.

"I've heard that we should be partners in growing this game," Vrabel said. "But in any kind of partnership I've ever been involved in, this isn't how it works. It certainly is frustrating from our standpoint. "If this deal doesn't work and this last CBA was so bad for them that it's got to change and the economic model doesn't work right now, we need to know. I know people get tired of hearing us say, 'Show us how bad you're doing and then we can negotiate.' That's the key: How bad off are they?"

Revenue issue

But the owners steadfastly refuse to show the NFLPA their books. Thus, the stalemate. Albeit a stalemate with a sense of urgency. "The fans want football and that's what we all need to make sure we continue to do – bring football to our fans," Goodell said. "When there's uncertainty, it's not a good thing. It's not a good thing for your fans, it's not a good thing for your business partners, it's not a good thing for the potential for revenue. It can be damaging for the game, and that's something we're trying to avoid."

The players are viewing the negotiations through percentage points. The owners are viewing it through dollar bills. The players are saying they will not accept a dramatic reduction in their percentage of the revenues. "We can't go back to 1985," Vrabel said. "We're not going to give everything back." The owners are saying forget the percentage points. Players are receiving more total dollars than ever. In 2005, the salary-cap figure for each team was $85.5 million. In 2006, when the owners agreed to dump all the revenue into one pot, the cap figure jumped to $102 million. If the owners had not opted out of the CBA, the salary cap in 2009 was scheduled to be $128 million.

The size of the roster didn't change from 2005 to 2009. So there would have been an extra $42.5 million per team to spread around the locker room. The owners maintain they need a larger cut of the revenue pie for operating expenses and an incentive to increase growing that pie through sales, marketing and sponsorships. The players got 62 percent of the designated gross revenue in the first CBA in 1993. Since then, the NFL has built 22 new stadiums, including billion-dollar palaces in Dallas and New York. The debt service has gone through the roof, yet the owners still get less than half of a gross revenue split. That's why the owners decided this labor model wasn't working. This dispute isn't about football. It's about 32 owners and roughly 1,800 players finding a fair way to split the estimated $9.7 billion in NFL revenue projected for 2011.

"In my true heart of hearts, I feel like something will get done this summer," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "Cooler heads will prevail. Everybody loves this game. Owners, players. It's all about what we do as far as what we love and giving some entertainment to the fans, too. So we'll be playing."

More games

Once the two sides resolve the money issue, everything else will fall into place. The centerpiece of the new deal would be an 18-game season. The extended season would put players at a greater risk for injury. So there is a belief the next CBA would include a second bye week for each team. The television networks insist that the NFL season not begin before Labor Day. More eyes will be on NFL games on television when school starts in September and summer vacations have been completed.

The NFL began the 2010 season on the weekend of Sept. 9-13. Adding two games and an additional bye to the schedule would have pushed the regular season to Jan. 23. Four more weekends of playoffs, capped by the Super Bowl, would have brought the season to a conclusion on Feb. 20. If you wedge in the traditional playoff bye weekend leading up to the Super Bowl, a champion would have been crowned on Feb. 27.

Playing a Super Bowl after Valentine's Day seems ridiculous to traditionalists. But the TV networks would be in favor of a longer season. The longer the season, the better the exposure for the corporate sponsors of the NFL and the networks. A projected 18-game schedule plus two regular-season byes and one playoff bye would expand the football calendar to 172 days – still a full calendar month shorter than every other major sport – Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL.

The downside is that the Northern cities such as Buffalo, Cleveland and Cincinnati would be playing home games in frigid conditions in January. The NFL could incorporate more geographic considerations into its scheduling. Southern and dome teams would have schedules laden with home games late in the season, and Northern teams would have heavy home slates early. Don't be surprised if a Buffalo or Cleveland finishes a season with three consecutive games on the road just to keep the players and fans out of the cold.

Major sports seasons

Of the four major sports, the NFL's season is the shortest. A look at the length of the current NFL season and the most recent seasons for the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.

League     Opening day     Final day     Days
NHL     Oct. 1, 2009     June 9, 2010     252
NBA     Oct. 27, 2009     June 17, 2010     234
Baseball     April 4, 2010     Nov. 1, 2010     212
NFL     Sept. 9, 2010     Feb. 6, 2011     151

IN THE KNOW

What you need to know about the NFL's collective bargaining agreement
What's at stake:

The agreement between the NFL owners and the NFL Players Association expires March 3. If no extension is reached, the owners plan to lock out the players March 4. The 2011 season would be in jeopardy.

The key negotiating points:

• Redistribution of revenue. The players have been receiving more than 50 percent of the league revenues under the current system. The owners want a more equitable split to account for the money they spend building, maintaining and generating revenue for the new stadiums.

• 18-game schedule with two preseason games. The league currently plays a 16-game schedule with four preseason games.

• Entry-level wage scale for rookies. High draft picks are receiving upward of $40 million guaranteed without ever having played an NFL down in the current system.

• Reducing the length of the off-season programs. Teams are allowed up to 18 on-the-field sessions during the off-season. If there is to be an extended season, the players want a reduction in off-season work.

Read more

Super Bowl Odds: Who's Likely To Play In Dallas For Super Bowl XLV

The Dallas Cowboys aren't in the playoffs this year - but their home stadium will be the site of Super Bowl XLV. Sadly, we already know that the Black Eyed Peas will be there to perform at the halftime show. Bodog has the latest and greatest odds for each team to reach and win the Super Bowl.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Patriots are the favorites to win Super Bowl XLV. The odds on the Pats winning the Super Bowl 2011 is a nifty 2/1. The Falcons and Steelers are both 11/2. It's also not terribly surprising that the 7-9 Seahawks have the worst odds - sitting comfortably at 100/1 odds to win the Super Bowl. The Chiefs don't have the best odds either, sitting at 35/1 despite leading the NFL in rushing, averaging over 164 yards per game on the ground.

If you're looking for odds on Super Bowl pairings, not surprisingly, a New England v. Atlanta Super Bowl has the lowest odds at 4/1. A Colts, Chiefs or Jets vs. Seahawks Super Bowl has 500/1 odds - sorry, Seattle.

Super Bowl XLV will take place on Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium.

Read more

Players Skipping the NFL Pro Bowl 2011

The 2011 Pro Bowl will be held on Jan. 30 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. As was the case in 2010, the Pro Bowl will take place a week before the Super Bowl.

Players have often skipped the Pro Bowl for various reasons -- injuries suffered during the season, indifference toward the game itself, etc. Now that the game is played a week before the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl players from the Super Bowl teams will not participate, either.

In other words, the Pro Bowl teams that were named in late December will look a lot different from the teams that take the field in Hawaii.

Below, a list of all the players who've dropped out of the 2011 Pro Bowl, and who is replacing them.

Read More >> Super Bowl 2011

Read more