Brand Manager's Worst Nightmare: "Free Cheesebuggers Now Available at Domino's!"
Nasal Crisis Manager Urgently Needed to Counter Effect of Employee Generated Content (EGC)
New Slogan: "Snot a problem at Domino's!"
Is nothing sacred? The power of symbol and metaphor has long shaped civilization thoughout history. Every epochal disruption and crisis has its iconic moment or image that captures the Zeitgeist. A cross on a shield: (The Crusades), slogans: (One if by land, two if by sea! Remember the Alamo!) , an epic poem (the Illiad. the Song of Roland), a banner (the unfurled Oriflamme of St. Denis of france signaling "take no prisoners") , a painting (too many to name) , a song (Eve of Destruction) , a photograph (A Vietnamese man being shot in the head, a naked girl running). .. and now perhaps a series of short cell phone videos made by two boobishly bored employees at Domino's. Meet the new Domino Effect. Usually associated with military or foreign policy strategies or just mindless national competions (see youtube video below), the Domino Effect now has a whole new meaning.
Two incredibly powerful photos seared into our collective conscience about Vietnam
Crusades Oriflamme
Barry Maguire(1965) "Eve of Destruction"
Here is the more traditional presentation of the Domino Effect, for of all things, what seems to be the launch of the Euro:
While Domino's Pizza may have been pushed into an industrial blender of bad publicity and trashed their brand, the law of unintended consequences may be at work once again. Does this distasteful (although that may be a matter of opinion ) or certainly disgusting "filmmaking" tap into the best analogy for what is holding back the recovery and underscore what loss of confidence really means? The two bumbling employees "produced" a series of five disgustingly "behind" the scenes cellphone videos in the kitchen at the local Domino's. While Domino's tried to jump into full crisis management mode, their nightmare may serve as a powerful motage that serves as metaphor for the financial crisis. In this 24/7 news cycle with every citizen a journalist it became apparent about the post Madoff disintegration of investor and consumer confidence:
"Laddie, thar be buggers in them thar pizzas"
If Domino' s were a credit card company their latest "ad campaign" would be: Pizza: $5.99, Pepperoni:$.99 extra, Buggers: Priceless. Its just snot right. But Tim Geitner is probably a bit relieved; finally there is a crisis of confidence not related to the global financial meltown. In what may be considered the first major new media crisis for a major consumer brand-- Domino's Pizza--has been youtubed and twitttered into he blogoshpere with a cheese crisis by two witless employees - Bum and Bummer- whose on-the-job homemade videos have thrown the whole concept of pizza toppings into a tail spin.
Quickly taken down off of youtube for copyright infringement by one of the immediately fired employees here is a link to a collection of idiocy personified. Be sure to ask for a box of kleenex and toilet paper with you next order form Domino's.
So please help the economy. Order a Domino's Pizza. If you are a patriot eat it yourself and have a nice cup of tea. Otherswise send it to a friend.
ps. I still go to salad bars in spite of the potential marination by "Human's Own Salad Dressing"