Every year, the Super Bowl delivers a lineup of commercials packed with Hollywood's biggest stars. We see A-listers like Ben Affleck, Sydney Sweeney, and Glen Powell competing for our attention in multi-million dollar productions. But in 2026, for Super Bowl LX, the most talked-about, most viral, and most beloved commercial didn't come from a famous director or a celebrity casting agency. It came from a fan.
The Doritos ad that took over social media was the winner of the brand's revived "Crash the Super Bowl" contest. Titled "Abduction," this fan-made commercial beat out stiff competition—including spots from other finalists and big-budget celebrity ads—to become the undisputed champion of the internet on Super Bowl Sunday. Here’s the complete story of why it trended, the controversy surrounding another finalist, and how Doritos reminded us all that sometimes, the funniest ideas come from the most unexpected places.
The Winning Ad: "Abduction" – A Masterclass in Absurdist Humor
The commercial that won the million-dollar prize and earned a spot during the Big Game is titled "Abduction." It's a perfect example of the simple, absurd, and endlessly rewatchable humor that made the original "Crash the Super Bowl" contests legendary in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The premise is brilliantly straightforward. The ad opens on a quiet, rural scene. A farmer is working outside when a classic, gleaming UFO descends from the sky. A beam of light shoots down, and the farmer is pulled up towards the spaceship. It looks like a classic alien abduction.
But then comes the twist. As the farmer is lifted, his bag of Doritos falls from his pocket and tumbles back to the ground. The UFO immediately stops its ascent. The beam of light flickers and dies. The farmer drops unceremoniously back to earth with a thud. The camera then pans up to the UFO, where a single, long, alien arm reaches out of the hatch, holding a sign that reads: "SORRY. MY BAD."
That's it. That's the entire commercial. And it is absolutely perfect.
You can watch the winning commercial here:
Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" 2026 Winner - "Abduction":
Watch YouTube video
Why "Abduction" Became an Instant Viral Sensation
The ad's success can be attributed to several key factors that made it a perfect fit for the viral age:
Simplicity and Clarity: The joke is set up and delivered in 30 seconds with no dialogue. The visuals are clear, the premise is instantly understandable, and the punchline lands perfectly. There's no confusion, no overthinking—just pure, simple comedy.
The Power of the Unexpected: The twist—that aliens only want the chips, not the human—is brilliantly subversive. It takes a classic sci-fi trope and turns it into a relatable, humorous observation about our own snack cravings. We've all been there, willing to do almost anything for the last chip.
Endless Rewatchability and Shareability: In the age of TikTok and Instagram Reels, the best content is short, sweet, and rewards repeat viewing. "Abduction" is perfectly structured for this. It's a 30-second loop of pure joy. People watched it once, laughed, and immediately watched it again to catch every detail. They shared it with friends because it was easy to digest and guaranteed to get a laugh.
A Nostalgic Comeback Story: The "Crash the Super Bowl" contest itself was a major part of the story. For fans who remembered the contests from the late 2000s, the return of the program was a nostalgic event. The fact that the winning ad captured the same spirit of fun, amateur creativity was the perfect ending to that comeback story.
The Controversy: The "Weird" Barber Shop Finalist
No viral story is complete without a little controversy. While "Abduction" was the clear winner, another finalist in the "Crash the Super Bowl" competition generated a massive amount of buzz for completely different reasons. This was the so-called "barber shop" commercial, which many viewers found bizarre, unsettling, and strangely compelling.
While the specific video for this finalist isn't available in the provided links, descriptions of the ad paint a picture of absurdist humor taken to an extreme. It apparently involved a barber shop with increasingly strange customers and surreal events, all centered around a bag of Doritos. The humor was less a clean punchline and more a slow-burn, uncomfortable weirdness that left viewers scratching their heads.
This ad became a trend in its own right because people couldn't decide if it was brilliant or terrible. Social media was flooded with hot takes, reaction videos, and memes dissecting every frame. Some praised it as avant-garde genius, while others declared it the worst thing they'd ever seen. This debate, ironically, drove even more attention to the "Crash the Super Bowl" contest and, by extension, to the winner.
You can see the winning ad alongside other finalists here:
Compilation of Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl" Finalists:
Watch YouTube video
How Doritos Beat the Celebrities
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Doritos ad's success is that it went viral in a year packed with some of the biggest celebrity commercials in Super Bowl history. We had Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in a treasure-hunting adventure for Doritos themselves. We had the Backstreet Boys with Druski for T-Mobile. We had Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Dunkin'. The star power was immense.
Yet, a 30-second ad with no famous actors, no CGI spectacle, and no famous director cut through all of it. According to post-Super Bowl analysis from outlets like WatchMojo and various commercial review channels, the reason is simple: authenticity.
In a sea of polished, focus-grouped, celebrity-driven content, "Abduction" felt different. It felt like it was made by a person, not a corporation. It had a distinct voice and a point of view. Viewers connected with that authenticity. They appreciated that the humor came from a genuine, creative place, not from a marketing memo.
As one analysis video noted, Doritos successfully tapped into the "classic Super Bowl humor" that made the event's commercials famous in the first place—the clever, simple, funny ideas that anyone could enjoy, regardless of age or background.
See the analysis of why Doritos topped the charts:
Top 10 Funniest Super Bowl Ads 2026 (feat. Doritos analysis):
Watch YouTube videoWatchMojo - Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials of 2026:
Watch YouTube video
Conclusion: The People's Champion
The Doritos "Abduction" commercial trending in 2026 is a heartwarming story for the creative age. It proved that you don't need millions of dollars or a famous face to make the world laugh. You just need a great idea, a little bit of craft, and a bag of chips.
By bringing back the "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, Doritos didn't just find a great ad; they reconnected with their audience in a meaningful way. They reminded us that the best ideas often come from the most unexpected places. And in a year dominated by celebrity, it was the work of an unknown fan that truly stole the show.
The "barber shop" controversy added the perfect dash of internet chaos, proving that even the weirdest ideas can find an audience. But in the end, it was the simple, perfect joke of aliens who just really want your Doritos that won the day, and the internet.
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