One of the more unusual series of television commercials appeared in the early 1990s to promote Doritos.
The commercials used the tagline, 鈥淏ob鈥檚 Favourite Snack鈥� as teens and young adults spoke about how much they loved the food, and how much they adored Bob.
鈥淲hen he eats Doritos, people listen,鈥� one person said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in touch with the world.鈥�
鈥淏ob is to Doritos what elevators are to music,鈥� another said. (I have no idea what that鈥檚 supposed to mean.)
As the ad campaign continued, Bob became a larger-than-life figure. One person was painting a picture as a gift for Bob. Someone else had made up a rhyme in his honour.
Occasionally, someone in these commercials would ask who Bob was, but those questions were quickly shut down.
Bob was a hero. He loved Doritos. That鈥檚 just the way it was.
In the early 1990s, the Bob commercials had a quirky yet innocent charm to them. People were enamoured with the mysterious Bob, his charisma and his charm.
And yet Bob was conspicuously absent and possibly nonexistent.
It seemed the creators of these commercials were not just promoting snack food; they were also making a statement about hero worship in pop culture.
I don鈥檛 recall buying Doritos in the early 1990s. Then and now, the snack wasn鈥檛 my first choice.
Still, the ad campaign has stuck with me. And now more than three decades after the 鈥淏ob鈥檚 Favourite Snack鈥� commercials have run their course, the aftertaste of these short clips still lingers.
The concept of a highly influential figure with a big personality has changed over the years, and the fictional and never-seen Bob is the product of a bygone era.
Does Bob matter today?
Perhaps Bob never existed, but there are some today who wield massive influence and whose statements are accepted by their supporters without question.
Canadian university professor Jordan Peterson has gained a widespread following in recent years, with a segment of the population paying close attention to what he says about society and social trends.
American podcaster Joe Rogan also has a similar following when he expresses his views. His podcast is considered one of the most influential in the world.
Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki has a strong and loyal following, especially when he speaks to environmental concerns.
Naomi Klein, a Canadian author and activist, draws considerable attention when she expresses her views about capitalism.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift also has significant influence around the world and her lyrics are analyzed by her fans. Some American universities offer courses studying her lyrics.
And some people with huge popularity achieve prominence in leadership roles, exerting dominance based loud personalities rather than strong ideas.
The mysterious and never-seen Bob from the Doritos commercials can be seen as a commentary on following a highly-influential person blindly and without question.
When the people in the Doritos commercials idolized Bob, they seemed a bit silly and naive.
Showing the same unquestioning loyalty to a celebrity, influencer or leader today is no different. Blind and unquestioning devotion is not a good look for anyone. And when a segment of the population follows a personality without even considering the wisdom of that person鈥檚 statements, something has gone wrong.
Perhaps I鈥檓 overthinking this. After all, the Bob鈥檚 Favourite Snack ad campaign was about promoting Doritos. Podcasters and social media influencers did not even exist when the commercials aired.
John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.
