Doritos Films First Ad In Space
Doritos has made history with their zero-g ad, the first commercial ever shot in space. The civilian crew of SpaceX astronauts shot the commercial during the Polaris Dawn mission, which has been groundbreaking in several ways, outside of shooting the advertisement. Pulling the commercial off was a difficult task, requiring Frito-Lay to create special chips for the astronauts to enjoy while orbiting Earth.
The charity supported by the Doritos zero-g ad was chosen by the astronauts themselves with Frito-Lay using the stunt as a fundraising opportunity and giving a sizable donation themselves.
Despite its historic nature, the Doritos zero-g ad is short and to the point. The 15-second commercial features the 4-astronaut crew crunching on the chips while floating around with the snacks. As the astronauts enjoy their snacks, a voiceover explains that the chips were launched into space as part of a charity program with Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
The charity supported by the Doritos zero-g ad was chosen by the astronauts themselves with Frito-Lay using the stunt as a fundraising opportunity and giving a sizable donation themselves. Frito-Lay held a giveaway with those who donated enough being entered into a drawing for the made-for-space chips. Those who donated $200 could receive the same type of chips sent to space, while those who donated $1,000 were entered to win chips that made the trip to space and back.
The Doritos in the zero-g ad had to be custom-made so that they could be safely consumed in space, as chips are usually too messy for consumption in space. Crumbs are a major hazard in space where they can be inhaled or become lodged in an astronaut’s eye, not to mention the damage they can do if they end up inside a device. To avoid the crumb problem, Frito-Lay made the chips bite-size and replaced their signature flavor powder with flavored oils baked into the chips.
The shooting of the Doritos zero-g ad occurred as the Polaris Dawn team was preparing for another historic moment, the first civilian spacewalk.
Packaging was also a challenge for the Doritos zero-g ad, requiring special care to avoid the chips being destroyed during launch. The chips were put into specialized metal tins and individually wrapped inside those tins. According to SpaceX astronaut Anna Menon, the packaging worked, and the chips survived their trip into space undamaged.
Among the numerous firsts for the Polaris Dawn mission, the Doritos zero-g ad is one of the more light-hearted.
The shooting of the Doritos zero-g ad occurred as the Polaris Dawn team was preparing for another historic moment, the first civilian spacewalk. As the crew was shooting the commercial, they were in the process called “pre-breathe,” in which the cabin pressure is reduced to prepare for the spacewalk. During one of their meals during that process, the astronauts enjoyed the chips and shot the advertisement for Frito-Lay.
Due to the large number of historic firsts, the Polaris Dawn mission was being watched more closely than most space missions. In addition to the spacewalk, it featured the first civilian crew field testing space suits and radiation shields. Its success is being hailed as a win for the future of private space exploration.
Among the numerous firsts for the Polaris Dawn mission, the Doritos zero-g ad is one of the more light-hearted. The mission was a critical step in proving that private space travel was viable, with civilian crews capable of performing important experiments. The campaign was also an experiment in designing food for astronauts.
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