Creative Stories: The War on Pineapple

In 2019, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had a problem.

They knew that trolls from Russia and other nations were interfering with US elections, and that foreign influencers were using social media to manipulate and divide Americans.

CISA needed to educate people, explain how foreign interference was happening, and help the American public avoid being manipulated.

But they weren’t sure how.

Then one day over lunch, the election security team began arguing about their food preferences. The debate started with salt and vinegar potato chips – but really blew up when they began talking about pineapple on pizza.

The issue split the group – and lasted well beyond the meal.

And it gave the team an idea.

“It reminded us of these genuine, heartfelt opinions that can be exploited to fan the flames,” said CISA’s Geoff Hale. “It’s hard to explain to people that their heartfelt opinions are being used to unconsciously exploit them.”

The team decided to illustrate how Americans were being influenced online by dividing them on a frivolous issue – pineapple on pizza.

The War on Pineapple
Their tongue-in-cheek ‘War on Pineapple’ campaign outlined the playbook foreign influencers follow to create divisiveness – from creating fake social media accounts to organising protests. CISA shared an infographic that explained how Americans were being manipulated – and the steps they could take to protect themselves.

Within 24 hours of the first tweet, the War on Pineapple went viral – and opinions about the issue of pineapple on pizza were divided, just as CISA had hoped.

While the problem of foreign interference remains, the War on Pineapple helped combat it – and educate the public in a fun, creative way.

CISA’s Explanation on how Foreign Interference Happens