Boycott Your Own Brand
Branding
12.16.2008
This may seem counterintuitive. Why would you want to raise opposition to your brand? Because consumers have shown they respond well to companies that don’t take themselves too seriously — especially when juxtaposed against an individual or organization that takes itself über-seriously. The key to successfully pulling off this type of advertising is creating the quintessential killjoy.
Welcome to www.nolaf.org. NOLAF (National Organization for Legislation Against Fun) is a fictional, yet somewhat frighteningly believable, grassroots group founded to stamp out all things fun. Their public enemy #1? Tostitos chips and dip. This McCarthyesque group of characters is bound and determined to crush the crispy brand to bits, eradicating it and its enjoyable effects. Besides brilliant casting, flawless execution, high quality production, attention to detail and dry, witty humor, the concept behind this site is pure gold. If you don’t eat Tostitos chips and dip, then you are practically in league with NOLAF. Or at least you’re one of their mindless guinea pigs (dressed like the 1970s Olympic track team but not nearly in as good of shape).
The beauty of this site is the stealthy visibility of the Tostitos brand. They aren’t using the site to sell the brand; it was created for the sheer pleasure of the visitor. I clicked on everything because I couldn’t get enough of the head honcho (love child of Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute) and his geezer sidekick.
By creating an anti-fun group that despises their brand and giving their target a chance to get in on the joke, Tostitos proves that it is a very “fun” chip.
