DoorDash is the latest first-time Super Bowl ad buyer, and it's bringing Cookie Monster

DoorDash is set to make its Super Bowl commercial debut on the biggest day for advertising—which also happens to be a major day for food delivery. The campaign, called “The Neighborhood,” features actor and singer Daveed Diggs, paired with Sesame Street’s Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Rosita, in a fresh take on the children’s TV show’s “People in your Neighborhood” song, directed by Michel Gondry for The Martin Agency. It also marks the nonprofit Sesame Workshop's first time in the Super Bowl. DoorDash is using the spot to show, for the first time in its marketing, that it is more than a company for restaurant orders, but rather is a broader delivery option for items such as milk, cookies (obvious choice), shampoo, birdseed and paper towels. The ad is set to run during the first quarter of the Super Bowl. DoorDash plans to kick off the campaign with a 30-second teaser spot during the Jan. 24 AFC Championship game. “Now more than ever, strengthening and supporting local businesses is critical and I’m excited to play a role in DoorDash’s efforts to build community during this time,” Diggs said in a statement. “Plus, you know...Sesame Street!!” Sesame Street previously remade the “Neighborhood” song in 2020 as “Heroes in your Neighborhood” in a partnership with Walgreens. And DoorDash now has other services beyond its restaurant roots, offering delivery from chains including Walgreens, CVS, 7-Eleven, Wawa, Meijer and PetSmart, as it tries to stand out as a one-stop delivery company. Or, as DoorDash puts it, it’s an “on-demand local logistics platform.” Ordering pizza, wings or other dishes to dine on as Americans sit back and relax and watch the game—and the commercials—takes on more importance this year because people are (hopefully) more likely to be watching at home, in smaller groups due to the coronavirus pandemic. That may lead to more orders for DoorDash and other delivery providers. Plus, people may have a quieter space in which they’re watching the game, giving new-time advertisers such as DoorDash the opportunity to reach a more attentive audience. "What excites me about this campaign is that it tells the story of how we deliver all the best in your neighborhood in an authentic and engaging way and supports Sesame Workshop,” Christopher Payne, chief operations officer at DoorDash, said in a statement. DoorDash announced that it will donate $1 for each order placed on Feb. 7 and 8, up to $1 million, to the Sesame Workshop. To keep track of all the advertisers running national spots in the game, bookmark Ad Age’s regularly updated Super Bowl ad chart.Join Ad Age on Feb. 2 for a look at how brands are navigating the pandemic and addressing diversity in their ads for the 2021 game.

DoorDash is the latest first-time Super Bowl ad buyer, and it's bringing Cookie Monster

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