What a delightful conspiracy

For those that don’t know, DEN (Denver Airport) has been the target of some pretty dark conspiracy theories—everything from being the Illuminati headquarters to the home of an underground Nazi bunker. DEN just leaned into that something fierce, and I think it’s delightful.

Brand can be a tricky thing. Your brand isn’t what you say about yourself, it’s what they say about you—A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service or company. Changing the way people think and feel about you is not an easy task. Especially if those feelings are conspiratorial. People love conspiracy theories, partially because our brains are built to find pleasure in them. So what do you do?

Most organizations would probably just choose to ignore the problem away, but DEN found a delightfully different approach. Embrace the conspiracy! Lean in! Laugh! And make a bunch of people smile in the process. Not an easy thing to do when those people are traveling through an airport.

DEN pulled it off with the Denver Gargoyle, a talking animatronic gargoyle that pokes fun at the Denver Airport conspiracy theories all the while connecting with grumpy, road weary travelers. A little laughter goes a long way.

The most successful organizations don’t just have personality—they have passions and beliefs that stem from an emotional and philosophical core. They care about things. They care about people. When an organization’s core beliefs and identity are clearly expressed, the organization inspires loyalty and excitement. It opens up space for intimacy and relationships. By helping travelers smile in the midst of their travel stress, DEN shows that it cares about the people it serves. It gives them a laugh when they need it most. And it opens up space for connection and delight.

When people feel that they know who an organization is—not just its personality, but its core beliefs and passions—people care about what that organization says and does. They buy the organizations products and services, listen what it says, and they have opinions about everything the organization does. People connect. They care. They might even change their opinions about a long held conspiracy theory.

DEN just went a long way towards helping people make a happy connection with an airport. And I find that delightful.