Doritos drops its logo to spark UGC from ad-adverse Gen Zers

Brief:

Doritos is removing its logo from its advertising as the PepsiCo-owned snack brand unveils a campaign targeting ad-adverse Generation Z. The "Another Level" campaign will remove all logos and mentions of the brand from its social media, and from TV and digital ads that premiere during tonight's MTV Video Music Awards, according to an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
The brand is renaming its Doritos.com website to LogoGoesHere.com, and encourages fans to create content inspired by the campaign and share it on social media. Doritos created an augmented reality (AR) Snapchat Lens that lets users turn their faces into triangles, resembling the shape of the flavored tortilla chips.
Doritos is targeting Gen Z with a digital media buy that includes skippable YouTube ads, placements on social media and out-of-home, and partnerships with Warner Music's entertainment and pop culture website Uproxx and video shopping app NTWRK.

Insight:

Doritos' "Another Level" campaign aims to reach young consumers who have grown acclimated to ad-free viewing experiences on streaming platforms like Netflix. It also marks a significant push by the snack brand into digital media, where tech-savvy young adults and teens are more likely to spend time as they shun traditional channels like broadcast TV and print. Gen Zers spend more time throughout the day watching mobile videos than any other group, with a strong emphasis on "snackable" content that fills gaps in their daily routines, a recent study found.

Removing logos and product names from advertising is typically a risky strategy for lesser-known companies, but Doritos is one of the most recognized brands in the U.S., suggesting that its signature triangle shape could be iconic enough for audiences to recognize. By leveraging an AR Snapchat Lens, video shopping apps and ads premiering during the MTV Video Music Awards, Doritos is placing its logo refresh on platforms popular with its target Gen Z demographic.

The campaign encourages fans to create and share what "Another Level" means to them, spurring user-generated content (UGC) that encourages people to interact with the brand. Doritos has been a mainstay Super Bowl advertiser for decades, earning special recognition for its multiyear "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign that featured crowdsourced UGC. That investment laid the groundwork for an anti-ad campaign like "Another Level."

The percentage of U.S. adults who said they would consider buying Doritos as their next snack choice rose to 41% last year from 35% in 2013, per researcher YouGov. To maintain that momentum, Doritos is working to advertise on digital channels that are popular among target groups.

Meanwhile, Doritos joins the growing list of companies that have removed logos or brand names from their marketing materials to make a statement or to signify a change in strategy. Mtn Dew this year partnered with HBO to celebrate the series finale of "Game of Thrones" by unveiling a white, brandless, limited-edition can it's calling "A Can Has No Name." Diet Coke in June debuted label-free cans as part of an ad push to challenge stereotypes about class, race, gender and more. Starbucks in 2011 removed its name and the word "coffee" from its logo as the coffee chain expanded into other products, while Mastercard this year removed its name from its logo to reflect a shift toward cardless digital payments.