NW Valley Times

Actor Michael Strassner stars as an alien conspiracy theorist in the Doritos commercial "Abduction." For many, the Super Bowl is about football, halftime shows, or snacks. However, for aspiring film producers, it presents a chance to create a commercial that might air during one of the most-watched sporting events in the U.S.

Grand Canyon University alumnus Christian Peterson and Biola graduates Dylan Bradshaw and Nate Norell are finalists in this opportunity. Their production, “Abduction,” is competing in the $1 million Crash the Super Bowl contest. The winner will have their commercial aired during the February 7 game and receive $1 million along with Super Bowl tickets.

Peterson met Norell on Amazon Prime's "Beast Games." Peterson said, “Nate Norell and I met during ‘Beast Games,’ Mr. Beast’s Amazon Prime show. We were coming off this game show where we lost $5 million, so we had to make it up somehow. We had to try somewhere else and, immediately, we jumped on this competitive train with the Doritos commercial.”

The team quickly moved from brainstorming ideas via Zoom to writing a script and filming within two weeks. Norell and Bradshaw co-directed while Peterson was involved in all aspects of production for the 30-second ad featuring Strassner battling a UFO over Doritos before befriending an alien.

Bradshaw reflected on the experience: “Being able to put this together with friends has been an unreal experience. It’s a testament of what is possible with passion and dedication. From start to finish, this has been a blur of time and emotions.”

Doritos, owned by PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay, allows aspiring producers to submit commercials for potential airing at the Super Bowl through its contest. With over 10,000 submissions received, “Abduction” was selected as one of three finalists.

Peterson expressed his enthusiasm: “Doritos is now my favorite snack, and if we win, I will buy all the Doritos.”

Voting for “Abduction” closes at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Meanwhile, Norell and Bradshaw are using Instagram livestreams to promote their entry by engaging viewers with unique challenges involving Doritos.