The brains behind the hit NBC TV show The Office know that the key to developing a loyal following is to create a Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe. Sure, the Scranton-based office is an absurd caricature of real life, but the world they created is so consistent, that we are all willing to join in the fun.

John Moore over at Brand Autopsy has a terrific ongoing feature he calls “Would you miss” where he asks his readers if they would miss a brand such as UPS or Pizza Hut. Well, he’s turned his attention to Dunder Mifflin. Would you miss this fictional brand?

What I think is interesting in a sort of murketing way are the comments on the Brand Autopsy website. Some people chose to view D-M as a real brand while others would miss the TV show.  Millions of people got a chuckle out of Dilbert, but no one would ‘miss’ Dilbert in the same way they would miss Michael Scott, Dwight and the gang.  I’m not suggesting people out there truly believe Dunder Mifflin is a real company, but the way we engage with a Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe can blur the lines.