PepsiCo Food Ventures has introduced a global advertising campaign for Doritos Loaded, bringing together Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 driver George Russell. Centered around precision under pressure, the spot features Ramsay preparing dishes inside a high-speed runaway food truck driven by Russell.
The high-octane commercial marks a key milestone in expanding the Doritos Loaded meal platform. Beyond the screen, the partnership includes an eight-recipe rollout created by Ramsay for restaurant operators worldwide and Formula 1 Fan Zone food trucks, featuring initial creations like the Doritos Loaded Hellfire Chicken Nachos.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the spot.
The Details:
- The :40 “Formula 1” was a very strong creative for Doritos, landing in the 90th percentile of all candy & snack ads over the past year within the broad gen pop audience, and easily outpacing category benchmarks across nearly every performance metric:
- Of course, the characters stood out in the Ramsay-fronted spot, rated by viewers as the Single Best Thing about the ad by 17% (above the 11% average for the category), with the fast-paced visuals supporting. Together, these aspects assured above-norm breakthrough (Attention and Likeability).
- The Funny adventure appealed across generations and gender, with the audience finding the spot particularly new/different (Change). Although the product itself was not cited as SBT quite as frequently as in the typical snack spot, the ad didn’t just entertain—it communicated the brand story clearly as “Doritos” featured prominently in the Viewer’s Voice verbatims; the brand was present and noted by viewers.
- An above-benchmark 82% successfully recalled Doritos on an unaided basis after a single exposure, and an encouraging 69% reported higher likelihood of purchase (to outpace norms by +9 pts). However, only 11% recalled the full Doritos Loaded product name.
- Of course, the characters stood out in the Ramsay-fronted spot, rated by viewers as the Single Best Thing about the ad by 17% (above the 11% average for the category), with the fast-paced visuals supporting. Together, these aspects assured above-norm breakthrough (Attention and Likeability).
- Early sightings of both the Doritos bag and Ramsay, along with the pulsing soundtrack, ensured early engagement, which remained at a high level across males and females through the end of the spot:
- However, 18-35 engagement dropped and did not come back to the same level after the first F1/race driver sighting (George Russell not yet being identifiable).
- Viewer sentiment on the :40 “Formula 1” confirms that this spot delivered the entertainment viewers are seeking, but this success caused some product clarity weakness.
- Gordon Ramsay’s celebrity presence was the single most commented-upon element, and as intended, his involvement lent credibility and premium positioning to the new product line and Doritos brand.
- While a smaller subset, George Russell recognition added credibility among racing fans who recognized his appearance and/or name while non-racing fans did not register this celebrity.
- Still, the action-packed Formula 1/racing visuals were attention-grabbing, engaging, and memorable within the category. However, for some audience members, this same aspect resulted in a loss of the product or specificity surrounding the Doritos Loaded line. These viewers left entertained but uncertain about what exactly was new.
- The spot landed as Funny due to the clever writing specific to the F1 partnership and differentiated the brand accordingly, allowing for dual demographic targeting (food/racing enthusiasts) as well as broad gen pop.
- However, 18-35 engagement dropped and did not come back to the same level after the first F1/race driver sighting (George Russell not yet being identifiable).
Sample comments on the “Serena Eats Real” :30 among viewers with incomes $40K+
“I am extremely shocked that Gordon Ramsay, the most popular chef in the world, made his appearance in this ad.”
Male 18-35
“Exciting to see Chef Gordon in the ad. It makes the brand look fresh and new.”
Female 36-49
“So cool having Gordon Ramsey and George Russell in the same commercial.”
Male 18-35
“I didn’t understand what was happening and after watching it, I still don’t know what Doritos Loaded is.”
Female 50+
“This is one of the best ads I’ve ever seen, like, ‘Who taught you how to drive???’ Amazing. I giggled at that. This was a very fun ad and I love it.”
Female 18-35
“Having one of the best, if not the best, chef ever doing a promo for Doritos is awesome.”
Male 36-49
“Action packed and recognizable characters, but it went by too fast. I could not tell what the product was.”
Male 50+
“It made me laugh in a good way. I love Doritos to begin with so it was easy for me to like the artistry and fun.”
Female 36-49
“Genius! I can watch this time and time again. Absolutely amazing. Doritos are awesome.”
Male 18-35
“I liked the ad. I know it was Doritos, but sorta confused.”
Female 36-49
“Creates excitement for new flavor. Having a celebrity chef elevated the product.”
Male 50+
“I like it. Never heard of loaded Doritos, but they looked delicious.”
Female 50+
“Doritos is a good brand and I love that they made the food and put it together in the Doritos bag. I also like Chef Gordon Ramsay and the food he makes. It was a cool video with great visualization and got my attention.”
Female 18-35
- The celebrity chef’s “Next Level Butter” January 2026 spot for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter also earned high marks from consumers as did the “Who Could Cook at a Time Like This?” :60 for Uber Eats (dropped 6/10/26); while popular, the brand might watch for over-saturation as they continue this Ramsay partnership:
- Each of the brands capitalized on the chef’s well-established credibility to carry over onto their product(s) while also making his acerbic personality integral to the narrative itself, which delighted audiences.
- These other brands saw viewers zero in even more on Ramsay (characters) but the brands and/or products themselves were even less forward. Doritos seems to have achieved a successful balance of celebrity, visuals, and a product-centered narrative that worked.
- Comparisons below are indexed to the All Industries one-year norm to allow for cross-category insight.
- Each of the brands capitalized on the chef’s well-established credibility to carry over onto their product(s) while also making his acerbic personality integral to the narrative itself, which delighted audiences.
- “Formula 1” easily outpaced Monster’s :30 “Unleash the Beast: Different” from May of this year whether evaluating response across the full broad audience or within followers of specific sports:
- This energy drink ad featured multiple sports and visuals including various racing scenes (McLaren for F1) in a fast-paced, flashing visual presentation.
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Creative Agency: PS21