Sometimes, trying new things can be liberating, and sometimes, trying new things can confirm that pizza shops should stick to pizza. The answer depends on the person, but the point is that keeping an open mind usually leads to better decision-making in the future. How do you know what you don’t like if you’ve never tried it before? And I suppose this logic should make sense at the heart of the ongoing “Domino’s Dares” campaign courtesy of CP+B. But it doesn’t. Because trying new things and being dared to try new things are totally different beasts.
In January, we briefly covered the first spot in the campaign: a Domino’s employee faces his fear of heights by going on a slingshot amusement park ride after a customer tries a non-pizza item off the Domino’s menu. Now, there are three extended videos of Domino’s employees overcoming their phobias–a redux of the slingshot spot, one with alligators, and a third (above) with a delivery guy who goes on stage at a comedy club even though he hates public speaking. The comedy club spot is funny, and all three have a let’s-stare-at-a-car-crash appeal, but is that really the best way to promote a brand?
The campaign isn’t terrible, mainly because the commercials can hold viewer attention, but associating a food brand with fear seems like a foolish move. Spiders, heights, claustrophobia, darkness…sandwiches? If you have to dare customers to try your new dishes, should you really be selling them in the first place?