Pizza Hut will field a limited-edition pizza box sporting all 32 NFL team logosPIZZA HUT
For Pizza Hut, which has lately been the "weak spot" in the Yum Brands portfolio, its first year as an NFL sponsor "could be a breakout play in a tough fight to secure a bigger slice" of the $40B-plus pizza delivery market, according to Allison Ross of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Pizza Hut will "field a limited-edition pizza box sporting all 32 NFL team logos and a 'beanbag blitz' reality game where customers can use their phones to play virtual cornhole." The brand is also "adding NFL-specific offers to its Hut Rewards program." The "Game Plan" initiative "reminds fans to order pizza for the next big game, and offers chances to win prizes ranging from food discounts to Super Bowl tickets." Pizza Hut is also "rolling out its first national NFL TV campaign" featuring Steelers WRs Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Pizza Hut "kicked off its partnership with the NFL during the Draft with a 'doorbell dance' campaign." Marketing to a sports crowd is "nothing new" for the brand, which has been an NCAA sponsor since '16. Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed recently said, "The way we look at it, we'll be sort of owning football Thursday through Mondays." Meanwhile, Ross notes Papa John's, despite "dropping the league sponsorship and the ability to use league logos or the Super Bowl in promotions," has worked to "keep deals with individual NFL teams." A company spokesperson said that it "currently has partnerships with 16 teams." Pizza Hut CMO Zipporah Allen said that her brand "partners with four teams and is looking for more" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 9/5).
PIZZA & FOOTBALL: Pizza Hut Chief Brand Officer Marianne Radley said of the brand's NFL deal, “It’s not about slapping our logo on a box with the NFL shield. It’s really about taking our involvement with the NFL and that passion and excitement behind football and bringing it to the fans. I mentioned 'home-gating.' Every weekend you have hundreds of thousands of people in the stadiums, (but) there’s even millions more at home watching it. Over 70% of the U.S. identifies as football fans -- that’s who we’re talking to.” Radley said of how consumers will be rewarded for brand loyalty by using “Game Plan,” “Our Hut Rewards program is best in class. ... It’s a direct invitation to our competitors’ customers, Papa John’s customers and any of our competitors to come join Hut Rewards. Once they enroll, they spend on one buy and we’ll give them the next pizza free, which is pretty compelling” (CHEDDAR.com, 9/4).
