Totino’s Pizza Rolls is betting that snacks, comedy and aliens will be the way to people’s hearts and stomachs with its next Super Bowl debut.
The General Mills brand has once again tapped comedy duo Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson to bring its bite-sized pizza nuggets to the big stage, alongside a crying girl and an alien who may or may not be named Chazmo.
Totino’s Super Bowl teaser continues the characters he introduced in October during football season with “Chazmo Goes Home.” At this location, Robinson and Richardson ask an alien named Chazmo for compensation for the Totino’s pizza rolls he ate on Earth. The alien goes from nice to sarcastic, telling the guys that he doesn’t owe them anything and that his name isn’t even Chazmo.
“We wanted to continue to give Tim and Sam creative freedom to let their comedic style shine. They are back with that natural chemistry, making them the perfect duo to elevate Totino’s Pizza Rolls into something epic for fans in our Big Game debut,” said Blake Holman, Business Unit Director from Totino’s Pizza Rolls, at ADWEEK.
The teaser shows the characters as a voiceover says, “If you only watch one commercial during the Big Game, make it the Totino’s Pizza Rolls commercial and close your eyes to all the others.”
Robinson and Richardson are joined by writer Zach Kanin, co-creator, producer and writer of the television shows I Think You Should Leave and Detroiters, as well as director Alice Mathias, also of I Think You Should Leave.
“Zach Kanin’s comedic genius and collaborative approach allows the actors to flourish, creating authentic humor. His ability to work with Tim, Sam and Alice has allowed our Big Game campaign to deliver fresh and hilarious moments that will have fans talking,” said Holman.
Totino’s Super Bowl campaign marks the first Big Game berth for General Mills in more than a decade.
“We are an epic Midwest brand, and leveraging the power of the national stage is part of our strategy to expand beyond our regional fans and capture an even greater share of the category an ocean away to the other,” Holman said.
The campaign was created in partnership with Dentsu Creative, with also participation from agencies UM, Edelman and The Social Lights.
General Mills and Dentsu Creative worked closely with Kanin and Mathias to create a campaign that captures the playful and absurdist tone of Totino’s Pizza Rolls. Fans are encouraged to follow the action on social media or by visiting Totino’s. website.
