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Almost 25 years after Domino's Pizza dropped The Noid, a pizza stealing mascot, The Noid is back and it may bring back a tragedy to a lot of us.

Back in the 80's, The Noid was introduced in advertising as the comic foil. He'd try and fail to keep the Domino's drivers from delivering pizza in the promised 30 minutes or less (back then, if it was over 30 minutes, it was free).

In a statement, Kate Trumbull, Domino’s vice president of advertising, described why the Noid returned:

“The Noid is Domino’s oldest and most famous villain, and the pizza delivery testing we’re doing with Nuro’s autonomous vehicle is exactly the kind of technology innovation that could provoke the Noid to return..."

Noid and Nuro
Domino's Pizza, Inc.
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The Noid is also part of the Crash Bandicoot game series.

What's The Problem With The Noid?

I didn't like The Noid, but plenty of people did and I think it worked well for the company, until suddenly it didn't. And when I say sudden, I mean it.

The Washington Post recalled...

Moments into Sean Burnsed’s work shift at a Domino’s Pizza restaurant, his first customer whipped out a gun. The perpetrator rounded the corner of the counter as he demanded $100,000 and a white limousine that could serve as a getaway car. And he insisted on talking to the company’s owner about it directly. (Washington Post)

What was going on? Well, police reported a man with the last name "Noid" was, "having an ongoing feud in his mind with the owner of Domino’s Pizza about the ‘Noid’ commercials...apparently, he thinks they're aimed at him."

It took six hours to resolve the standoff peacefully (he released his two hostages), and while the man was ruled not guilty "by reason of insanity," his life ended in suicide in 1995.

What Happened After?

I don't remember anyone blaming Domino's, but a lot of people continued to associate The Noid with that tragic event. Domino's denied they stopped using the mascot because of the tragedy.

Maybe I'm over thinking this whole thing. What do you think? Is it cool to bring back The Noid, or will it flop?

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

Listen to James Rabe and Jessica Williams Weekday from 6 - 10 AM on Y-105 FM

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