Remember breaking Bad? Of course you do. It was the show everyone was talking about from 2008 to 2013. Now there’s Breaking Good. It won’t run for five years, but it is hoping to be talked about. It’s Frito-Lay’s Super Bowl commercial for PopCorners. Breaking Good reimagines fan-favourite Breaking Bad characters, Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and Tuco Salamanca, as they Break Into Something Good – a wholesome snacking business – using Walt’s expertise with basic ingredients.
“Bringing PopCorners to the Super Bowl stage for the first time is a tremendous moment for a brand on the rise,” stated Brett O’Brien, chief marketing officer at Frito-Lay North America. “We’re showcasing why fans love this air-popped, never fried snack in an exciting and unexpected way through the lens of two characters who could’ve used their talents to Break Into Something Good.”
PopCorners teamed up with many of the original cast and crew members from the hit series, including actors, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Raymond Cruz, reprising their roles as Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and Tuco Salamanca, as well as Breaking Bad creator, head writer, executive producer and director, Vince Gilligan. The spot reimagines famous scenes and incorporates series elements sure to excite superfans, including original set pieces, like the infamous RV and Tuco’s wardrobe.
“PopCorners’ desire to create a genuine extension of the franchise and a campaign that would really excite Breaking Bad fans is what brought us back for this Super Bowl commercial,” Cranston commented. “Walt would’ve been immediately drawn to the basic ingredients in PopCorners, so Breaking Good made perfect sense as an alternate storyline that would’ve been much better for him and Jesse.”
Breaking Good will premiere on TV during Super Bowl LVII in the first commercial break of the third quarter. In addition to the TVC, PopCorners has released images and two video teasers and will release an extended version of the ad online.
Fans can also follow along with PopCorners on game day, on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
In Frito-Lay’s second Super Bowl spot, Doritos encourages fans to Try Another Angle. So far, Doritos has released three different teasers (here, here and here).
Leading up to the big game, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo Beverages have been airing their joint Road to Super Bowl commercial during playoffs. The road will end in Phoenix at the on-site activation, Route 57, where consumers can snap a selfie next to the World’s Largest PopCorner, run across the turf at the Cheetos Motel Touchdown Catch before jumping into a pool of foam Cheetos Puffs, sample bites at the Lay’s Ice Cream Truck, and more.
Tostitos will travel to Phoenix to show fans how they can transform their favourite chips and dips from snack-time staples to meal-time MVPs. The brand will launch its first pop-up restaurant, Tost by Tostitos, to give fans a front row seat to a new and unexpected way to experience Tostitos, the Official Chip and Dip of the NFL. Reservations are currently available for lunch and dinner February 9 – 11 at www.tostbytostitos.com. (There is no cost to dine at Tost by Tostitos.)
