NEW YORK — According to the Mayan calendar, at least as some have jokingly interpreted it, the world may end Dec. 21, but before then the Jell-O brand is introducing a tongue-in-cheek commercial about its ­effort to avert the apocalypse.

A commercial debuting Monday opens with a voice-over explaining that the ancient Mayans made offerings to their gods of beans, corn, and potatoes, all of which he calls boring.