McLean Resident a Finalist in Doritos Super Bowl Ad Contest

A McLean resident, Jason Johnson, is a finalist in a contest that will see a winning commercial air during the Super Bowl.

Johnson is a finalist in a Doritos TV commercial contest. He is competing for a chance to have his spot air during the Super Bowl, a $1 million grand prize and a dream job at Universal Pictures. His ad was selected from nearly 4,900 submissions representing 29 countries around the world; Johnson’s spot is one among 10 finalist ads including a record four international finalists.

“I am a huge fan of Doritos!” Johnson said in an email. “This contest has been a family tradition for us for a few years now. We have entered the contest three years in a row and each year the kids want to know when we are going to start shooting the new commercial. The kids get so excited when they see the final product on the Doritos.com website. The whole family has a blast making the commercial each year.”

Two finalist ads will air during the Super Bowl XLIX broadcast, one selected by fan votes on www.doritos.com and the other by the Doritos brand. From Monday to Jan. 29, fans are invited to vote once a day per device for the best ad on www.doritos.com.

Johnson’s commercial (watch it below) is dubbed “Trouble in the Backseat” and features a dad driving his kids and keeping a bag of Doritos all to himself in the front seat. Doritos describes it this way: Dad isn’t eager to share his Doritos. But the kids have other plans.

“I filmed the commercial over a couple of days in McLean with my kids and some buddies,” Johnson said. “I used the camera I owned and then borrow a lens from my friend. I actually played the part of the police officer, though I am not an officer in real life. I purchased a police officer costume at a local party store. The siren you see in the ad is just a prop we used inside the car to create a more authentic effect.”