Doritos and Pepsi MAX received more than 5,600 submissions for this year’s edition of their Crash the Super Bowl contest, which started in 2007. The field has now been narrowed to a group of finalists and interested parties are now invited to vote for their favorite. Interestingly, one popular option, Feed the Flock, isn’t included on the list and has been removed from the contest because it created considerable controversy. Submitted by Media Wave Productions this ad is described in detail by USA Today for those who may not wish to view it below:
Feed the Flock begins with a priest (maybe Catholic, maybe Anglican or Episcopal) at his desk surrounded by bills for the parish, which clearly needs more income in the collection plate (why else show the stack of bills?).
Since it’s his job to offer spiritual food to the flock, he takes it to another level (the pits, I’d say). The video shows the faithful lining up for Communion and getting Doritos (in two flavors, no less) instead of the wafer (which Catholics believe is the body of Christ and others see as symbolic of Christ). And, you guessed it, the wine, considered by Catholics to be the blood of Christ, is dished out as Pepsi MAX.
So What?
Steve Thorngate, Assistant Editor of The Christian Century, summarizes his view on what makes the ad offensive:
I think what makes the ad offensive isn’t the Doritos-and-Pepsi communion itself; it’s the suggestion that more people would go to church if churches focused on providing cheap pleasures people already want–and that this would be a good thing for the church. Looked at that way, the ad starts to come off (intentionally or otherwise) less like a thoughtless and easy punch line and more like satire that offends to make a point.
As a person of faith, what is your response to this ad?