Dairy-free cheese leader Daiya organized a 90s-themed pop-up event last Friday in New York City to promote its dairy-free pizza offerings. Dubbed “Crustbuster,” the event took place at SoHo’s Upside Pizza and attracted more than 500 attendees, including food influencers and local comedians.
“Crustbuster was our way of showing that Daiya is the ultimate solution to FOMOO”
The event was designed to address what the company has termed “FOMOO” — the “fear of missing out on dairy.” According to Daiya, skepticism about taste remains a primary obstacle for consumers considering dairy-free options. To counter this, the company showcased its revamped pizza line made with the Daiya Oat Cream™ Blend, which it claims replicates the taste and texture of traditional dairy-based pizzas.
John Kelly, chief marketing officer at Daiya, explained the purpose of the event, stating, “We’ve worked tirelessly to make sure our pizza delivers all the cheesy, gooey satisfaction of dairy — but without the dairy. Crustbuster was our way of showing that Daiya is the ultimate solution to FOMOO.”
Ahead of the event, Daiya conducted a survey revealing unique consumer behaviors associated with pizza. Findings included that 1 in 10 people admitted to eating pizza from the trash, 55% had cried over pizza, and mismatched pizza preferences were identified as a relationship dealbreaker by 10% of respondents. These results served to emphasize the emotional attachment people have to pizza and underscored Daiya’s objective of making dairy-free options equally desirable.
Nostalgia meets dairy-free pizza
The Crustbuster pop-up featured VHS-inspired decor, evoking the aesthetics of 1990s video rental stores. Attendees browsed shelves of VHS-style boxes labeled with pizza-themed parodies of classic films, such as The Slicefather (Supreme Pizza) and Beauty and the Feast (Meatless Pepperoni). Guests could select their preferred “movie title” to sample a corresponding pizza slice or choose a surprise option curated by Daiya chefs.
Crustbuster represents a continuation of Daiya’s marketing efforts to reposition dairy-free products as mainstream choices. Previous campaigns, such as Fromage Forgery and Slice Club, have similarly sought to engage consumers through interactive and unconventional promotions.
Kelly continued, “Crustbuster was our way of showing that Daiya is the ultimate solution to FOMOO. This wasn’t just a taste test—it was proof that dairy-free pizza can satisfy every bit as much as its dairy counterpart.”
