Tostitos Salsa Ad by Nicholas Weigel and Laika

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As far as CG spots for salsa go, this one directed by Nicholas Weigel at Laika offers some impressive art direction. An in-depth interview with Weigel and production credits can be found at Motionographer. For a more immersive version of the ad, watch it on Vimeo where it takes over the screen.

(Thanks, Mike Johnson)

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  • George

    There were about 4 or 5 animated Tostito’s commercials prior to this one, and none of the seemed to have anything to do with tortilla chips. That aside, they were really cool commercials, I’m sure some quick hunting online would produce video results.

  • Grant Beaudette

    I HAVE BECOME DEATH, DESTROYER OF PRODUCE!!!

  • Iritscen

    Best. Salsa ad. Ever.

  • Jay Sabicer

    Went into the Vimeo site, I wasn’t expecting the whole page to come to life! Definitely a way to stand out for web advertising. And yes, the animation was quite impressive. It’s kinda sad that I’m not a bigger salsa fan, Frito-Lay might have had me.

  • Anne

    She looks disturbing without a nose.

  • http://powpowcomics.com Brooks Michael Williams

    I was wondering when you guys would post this. Very vibrant and eye-catching. Good stuff.

  • http://www.karadesigns.ca Kara

    Flamenco and 3D animation, my favourite combo :) The flamenco purist in me wants to say that it’s a bastardization of the art form (having flamenco-esque moves, costume and guitar music and calling it salsa? haha) but I still enjoyed it :D

  • Katella Gate

    Beautifully done and strangely disconcerting. This is not the storyline you expect. You know something’s up when the fan springs open like a ninja weapon. Kudos to Grant Beaudette’s feedback.

  • Matt Petersen

    Its a beautiful commercial!
    I was wondering when you guys would mention it.
    I almost sent you a line asking who made it because it was such a great little piece to watch.

  • http://weirdurl.com Zekey

    That was rad as hell.

  • http://okgrillo.blogspot.com Oscar Grillo

    I am a very old man. I remember the time when commercials were based on expressive narrative ideas.

  • Anonymous

    I too am bothered by her lack of a nose.

  • Tsimone Tse Tse

    Frito-Lay presents APOCALYPSO!!!!!

    “We’ll be dancin’ when we go.”

    (sorry JimmyB)

  • http://www.elliotelliotelliot.com Elliot Cowan

    Director Weigel seems like a very nice fellow.
    I wrote to him a while back and he sent me a nice note back.

  • Rodan

    Damn….this bi–och put’s the Chicita Banana lady to shame!
    She’s packn some serious armament… I’m impressed!

  • Andrew

    That was incredible. … well, for a salsa commercial. (And video in general!)

  • http://www.taberanimation.com Taber Dunipace

    Muy caliente! The world would be a non-stop sensory overload if all commercials were this cool.

  • http://jessicaplummer.blogspot.com Jessica Plummer

    i too am not a fan of the whole no-nose design, especially on such a richly detailed character, but this is a really nice production… and that vimeo page was icing on the cake! (or, erm, extra spice on the salsa?)

  • A.C.

    I didn’t look at this when it was first posted, BUT I just turned on Snow White which is being shown on ABC and caught this commercial on the screen…and as soon as I saw it, I thought the girl looked very similar to a character in the video game Psychonauts.

    http://www.doublefine.com/Psycho-pedia/Lampita_Pasionado/

    I compared the concept art to the close up in the commercial at 0:19. It could be a coincidence, but there’s the “no-nose” design, they’re both hispanic dancers, the shape of the eyes, and the wisp of hair on the side of the face…

  • Dock Miles

    The nose knows — attractive female characters in animation and comics (with a few interesting exceptions) have very demure nasal organs. Button noses, almost-none noses or, indeed, a blank space. (“My Life As a Teenage Robot” highlighted such issues in an amusing episode.) Big, luminous eyes often take up the slack, as here. Male characters without a schnoz, in an interesting contrast, seem more android or insect-like.

  • Linz

    Thats a really great spot, super pretty.

    The character reminds me a lot of Lampita from Psychonauts.

    http://www.doublefine.com/Psycho-pedia/Lampita_Pasionado/

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/nfalcone Nichole Ferello

    I’ve been admiring this commercial since it first aired. I watch it every time!

  • Melanie S

    I love the commercial, how it feels, and what it evokes in me.

    It irks me to no end though that it is culturally inaccurate. Flamenco dancers are from Spain; salsa and tortilla chips are not! They are inspired by Mexico, so Mexican music and a Mexican dress would have been more appropriate. This stuff matters and I can’t believe Tostitos didn’t call them out on it. Of course, Mexicans are not very popular right now…

  • sharnetta grant

    I work in the marketing world…and I LOVE THIS COMMERCIAL, not a word said….you just get it!!! Great ad, it truly speaks for itself!!!