Debranding? Deconstruction.

Debranding is a thing now. It’s been a thing, but now it’s calling attention to itself as a thing, so I suppose it’s a bigger thing? Anyway, it seems that Gen Z consumers, or emerging adults as they are referred to in this article, don’t like traditional advertising (whatever that means).

Lack of logo (maybe identity would be a better term?) has been done before. Debranding is delusion powered by allusion.  

Every generation derides, or at least shrugs off, the culture stuff of preceding generations. But the ads in this campaign are remarkably self aware, targeted and, well, branded, which makes them the very thing their research says the kids don’t respond to. They are ads. Clever maybe. Well done for sure.

What the ads do show is that color, type, and imagery are very powerful identity components. Brands that market smart over decades, and remain consistent with their marketing and promotion, gain huge recognition advantages. Doritos knows this. And it allows, almost demands, this kind of brand promotion.

But it’s branding — a deliberate deconstruction. Not debranding.