Doritos is making a big show of omitting its brand name from a new US ad campaign by Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
The idea is that Doritos’ target Gen Z audience doesn’t respond to overt advertising, so instead they are getting a very knowing but unbranded campaign: Doritos has even removed the logo and all brand mentions from its social channels.
Luckily for Doritos, they have a pretty iconic triangle shape to play with, as well as trademark red and blue colours. The OOH work also mentions its well-known flavours – #cheesy, #cool, #spicy, #ranch – so audiences don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out what product they are being sold. Plus we are told that the brand name rhymes with “I need those.”
The film is fun and lively though, and will appeal to its target for that reason. It’s hard to be convinced that Gen Z don’t like advertising when most of them are so brand obsessed; the more likely scenario is that they are just supremely discerning when it comes to advertising, because it’s all content to them and is judged on its own merits.
Naomi Klein’s book, “No Logo,” was published 20 years ago this year, but the Doritos campaign can’t be seen as an example of her manifesto fulfilled. Brands play a bigger role than ever in our lives, whether it’s funding entertainment, sponsoring sporting events, or – like Nike and Dove – attempting to shape our political worldview. Doritos has earned the right to this new campaign because the brand and the product are already a mainstay of popular culture.
MAA creative scale: 9
