Ajinomoto faked a #CancelPizza conspiracy to spring MSG on Gen Z.

Ajinomoto's long-standing 'MSG is safe' science messaging was losing ground with Gen Z, whose view of MSG was shaped mostly on TikTok, where conspiracy-style content spreads far faster than facts.

Instead of rebutting the myth, Ajinomoto joined its format and inverted it. The #CancelPizza account ranted that anyone who wants to cancel MSG must also cancel pizza — because it is packed with naturally occurring MSG in parmesan, tomato, pepperoni and garlic.

The premise was absurd enough to feel like a conspiracy, but the payload was true: MSG occurs naturally in everyday foods, so 'no MSG' was never coherent. Influencers duetted and stitched to reinforce the science, giving the fake movement credible supporters.

The result was 2.05 billion impressions, a 5.7% sales increase, a 39% lift in MSG favorability and a 65% rise in brand trust, with 70% of comments defending pizza — and, by extension, MSG.

Join the misinformation, add the truth

It uses the misinformation format that actually travels to get attention

It makes the truth discoverable inside a joke rather than in a rebuttal

It meets Gen Z on TikTok where they already form their opinion

The audience defends pizza, so they argue the case for MSG themselves

You rarely beat a misinformation format with a factual one; the format carries more force. Absorb it, keep the fact true, and let the joke teach — they defend what you were selling.

The campaign reached more than 27 million video views, earned 423 media placements and changed the minds of over 5 million Gen Z consumers, contributing to increased sales and trust. It was recognised at the Effie Awards in the Sustained Success category for Ajinomoto's multi-year effort to move America from 'No MSG' to 'Know MSG'.