The animated character used in Domino’s advertising in the 1980s was The Noid.
The Noid debuted in 1986 as a mischievous, rabbit-eared figure in a tight red suit who tried to ruin delivered pizzas. Domino’s campaign presented him as the personification of every obstacle that could make a pizza arrive late, cold, or damaged. The slogan “Avoid the Noid” turned the character into one of the era’s most recognizable fast-food mascots.
Advertising agency Group 243 created the concept and hired Will Vinton Studios to produce the stop-motion clay animation. The character’s vocal effects were supplied by Pons Maar. The campaign was closely tied to Domino’s 30-minute delivery promise, although the company later moved away from that guarantee after delivery-related safety concerns.
The Noid also appeared in the 1989 computer game Avoid the Noid and Capcom’s 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System game Yo! Noid. A 1989 hostage incident involving a man named Kenneth Noid is often said to have ended the campaign, but Domino’s and its advertisers disputed that explanation. The character has since returned occasionally in promotions.