Creator Behind Doritos' 'Humanizing Fetus' Super Bowl Ad Says Ultrasound Is His Own Son
The creator behind the controversial Doritos commercial that had pro-abortion groups angry that it "humanized" the fetus, has revealed that the animated baby in the ad is in fact from the ultrasound of the creator's own son.
"The animated baby – that animation is created from a still from the ultrasound of my son Freddie, so that's kind of an animated version of Freddie," Australian filmmaker Peter Carstairs told Entertainment Tonight. "Like, if Freddie was in utero trying to catch a Dorito, that's what he would look like, because it's him."
The 30-second ad in question, which cost $2,000 to make, features a pregnant mother getting an ultrasound, while the dad is eating Doritos chips. The ad suggests that the baby wants some of the chips, and viewers are left to infer that the baby jolted out of the mother's womb to go after a Dorito, in what was supposed to be a humorous spot, like other Super Bowl commercials.
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The ad prompted some backlash over Twitter, however, with the National Abortion Rights Action League tweeting: ""#NotBuyingIt - that @Doritos ad using #antichoice tactic of humanizing fetuses & sexist tropes of dads as clueless & moms as uptight. #SB50."
The ad prompted a debate on Twitter between pro-life and pro-choice voices, with some websites, such as LifeSiteNews, arguing that the pro-abortion side is having a "freak-out" over the issue.
"Memo to NARAL: that's what an unborn baby actually looks like," the pro-life group said in a blog post.
"Every couple who has ever had an ultrasound has watched their baby being 'humanized' right in front of their eyes, which is why having an ultrasound is such a beautiful and moving experience."
The Daily Mail pointed out that a good deal of the anger on Twitter was directed at Carstairs, though the Australian filmmaker was more disappointed about not winning the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl ad competition.
The Courier Mail pointed out that although Carstairs' "Ultrasound" ad was viewed by 62 million people, much more than the nearest competitor, "Doritos Dogs," it was the latter that was picked the winner.
"Our whole aim was to be screened at the Super Bowl and we achieved that," he said.
"We didn't win but 160 million people saw it broadcast. And on the USA Today ad meter (which ranks viewers favourite ads played during the Super Bowl) we ranked number three. Ironically, we ranked above Doritos Dogs!"
The filmmaker also dismissed online criticism of the ad that argued it was making fun of premature births.
"The United States is crazy," Carstairs laughed. "The ad's been seen by 200 plus million people and I would say there have been a handful of negative responses — arguably there should have been a lot more."
