“Once again, the simple, powerful idea that these are amateur spots in $3 million slots delivers brand impact -- vs. the ads themselves, which show mainly why the amateurs are amateurs," Ad Age ad critic Bob Garfield wrote in 2009, describing ads spawned in Doritos' annual "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, with help from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

But viewers enjoyed "Free Doritors," enough to propel it to the the top of USA Today's annual Ad Meter of entertainment value (ahead of Doritos' surprise second spot in Super Bowl XLIII, "Power of the Crunch"). That in turn handed the creators, Joe and Dave Herbert, a $1 million in prize money from Doritos. 

Directors, editors and producers: Joe and Dave Herbert. Director of photography: Jim Timperman. Sound mixer: Adam Rabinowitz. Production assistants: Josh Bower, Franklin (Skeeter) Hines, John Herbert, Diane Herbert, Holly Herbert,  Pete Herbert.

BRAND: Doritos

YEAR: 2009

AGENCY: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners

SUPERBOWL: XLIII

QUARTER AIRED: Q1