• by Fern Siegel , March 31, 2026

Who doesn't love a clever retake?

Doritos'  "The Triangle Theory" reframes a key moment in soccer — when  Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário took the pitch with a haircut, known as the half-moon, that became as famous as his goals. Then, ad agency AlmaBBDO reframed the look as a lost marketing stunt from the 2000s.

Forget the half-moon. The style was really a triangle, as noted in the YouTube "Triangle" mockumentary, which features interviews with sports historians, stylists and Nazário. The earned media campaign began on social, then headed to TNT Sports with experts and commentators debating whether the "Fenômeno" had been a secret brand ambassador all along.

To cement the idea, Doritos released the "Lost Ad of 2002" — a commercial produced with grainy textures and vintage editing of the era. 

“With ‘The Triangle Theory,’ we are betting on a creative narrative, leveraging the trending topic and exploring one of our brand’s core elements: the triangle,” said Cecília Dias, vice president, marketing at PepsiCo Brazil.