“Susie” Doritos Super bowl 2012 ad targets iPhone 4S and Siri in spoof

by Bill Palmer

Apple isn’t advertising its iPhone 4S or Siri voice command functionality during today’s 2012 Super Bowl. But the technology will be making an appearance, at least in satire form, thanks to Doritos. The ad from the snack maker will feature two sports fans attempting to use Siri (referred to as “Susie” here) to order a pizza. She nails that, but when they get around to offering her a Dorito and then eating it themselves, she goes into a bit of a tizzy. The iPhone 4S in the ad then shows off a “hidden feature” robot arm which steals the bag of Doritos and knocks both guys unconscious. The ad has little to do with Apple, but demonstrates how the Siri technology of the iPhone 4S has permeated the public consciousness since its introduction in late 2011…

Apple itself isn’t running ads during the 2012 Super Bowl, and hasn’t done so for some time. The company prefers to introduce its new products at its own press events, and early February doesn’t line up with any of its traditional introduction points on the calendar: new iPads tend to arrive in March, iPhones in the summer, and iPods in September. The company famously used a Super Bowl ad in 1984 to launch its Macintosh computer, but that was at a time when online publications didn’t exist and new products needed to be introduced months beforehand in order to give print publications enough lead time to spread the word. Apple’s last Super Bowl ad a few years back, entitled Hal, was lacked focus and failed to resonate with viewers. The company is gearing up for the release of a new iPad this spring. You can watch the Doritos “Suzie” ad here, and there’s apparently been no phone call from Apple’s legal department yet, meaning it’ll likely air during today’s game.