THE ART OF WAR: Christopher Rufo Allies with KTR for #DropDisney Blitz
When investigative reporter Christopher Rufo exposed Disney executives’ shocking “secret agenda” to propagandize kids, he asked us to help him tell the nation.
Rufo wanted to do more than break a story. He wanted to break a company.
He came to Knight Takes Rook with a purpose: taming a behemoth by taking Disney to task. We gave him a central idea, a strategy, and the power to execute and optimize it.
Weak Points and Strong
Elite power players—corporations, media figures, politicians—have layers of armor shielding them from standard frontal attacks. Disney was no exception.
But their entrenched power also makes them tedious. Arrogant. Uninspiring. Lame.
Disney isn’t “fighting the man” by trying to override the will of Florida voters and promote radical ideologies to kids. They are the man. Americans implicitly understand this.
The Army on the March
Knight Takes Rook saw the opportunity to hit Disney in a way that would make people laugh, shake their heads, and pay attention. As Disney hurtled toward its 2022 Q2 Earnings Report, we gave their shareholders something to gawk at.
Our partnership with Christopher Rufo’s DropDisney.com campaign utilized guerilla and underground marketing tactics to confront average Americans with persuasive entertainment that Disney’s activist execs could only dream about. We rolled out a frenzied media strategy that went far beyond your standard boycott. It inspired a community of anonymous creatives to light some fires of their own. If you’re active on social media, you definitely saw some of their work.
Waging War
Thanks to Rufo’s campaign, Disney’s downfall has become a watchword to other companies. According to leaks from several corporate C-Suite meetings where executives were considering a statement on other political issues like abortion, the reminder inevitably came up: “Remember what happened to Disney.”
“Executives saw what we did to Disney and have changed their risk calculations,” Rufo said. “The way to fight back against woke corporations isn't to appeal to fuzzy abstractions; it's to change incentives and put a price on transgressing the values of the common citizen.”
This is how a little bit of insanity can restore sanity. We can’t outspend global corporations or even out-organize them. But we can make them think twice by frightening them with the truth: that they are passé and we are revolutionary. We have the American people’s interest and their zeal.
Attack by Stratagem
Taming the radical whims of activist elites is far from the only application of KTR’s unique strategic approach. Our clients seek to awaken the sleeping giant of common sense—to point good people in the right direction so they can lead the charge on cultural and political issues we all care about.
Knight Takes Rook provides services other firms have never even heard of. If you want to deliver that killing blow and be part of an unstoppable cultural phenomenon, ask us what we can do for you.