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In the late 1980s, Domino's had a hit on its hands: a red-suited cartoon pest called the Noid. The ads told viewers to "Avoid the Noid," and the slogan was everywhere.
The campaign was meant to say that a pizza arriving cold was the Noid's doing. Nobody at the company pictured it landing on one particular person in a very personal way.
On January 30, 1989, a 22-year-old named Kenneth Lamar Noid walked into a Domino's in Chamblee, Georgia. He shared the mascot's name, and he was carrying a .357 Magnum.
He held two employees hostage for hours. According to UPI, police believed he thought the ads were aimed at him, and that was what set off the standoff.
Accounts differ on the details. Some say he demanded $100,000, a getaway car, and a copy of a novel about secret societies called The Widow's Son.
The ending was better than it could have been. Both hostages escaped unharmed, and he surrendered peacefully. Headline writers couldn't resist: "Domino's Hostages Couldn't Avoid the Noid this Time."
Whether the incident ended the mascot is still disputed, and Domino's rejects the rumor. The Noid stayed in use until 1995, and Domino's announced his return in April 2021.
