To celebrate the second year of its ‘official NCAA pizza partnership’, Pizza Hut has launched ‘Pie Tops II’ for March Madness 2018.
Last year saw the pizza giant launch limited edition high tops branded basketball sneakers that used in-built geolocation to allow the wearer to order a pizza simply by pressing a button of the sports shoes’ tongue (see case study).
For this year’s tournament Pizza Hut has returned with a new edition, Pie Tops II, that again orders pizza, but also enable wearers to ‘pause the TV hoops action’ when the pizza arrives (and this time round they are actually available for purchase).
Available in both red and wheat colors, with ‘cheese grater’ mesh on the side of the shoes, plus ‘cheese-pull’ laces and ‘extreme marinara splash’, Pie Tops II allow wearers to order Pizza Hut’s deal (two-topping, two medium pizzas for $5.99) and pause the game while receiving delivery.
The sponsor, once again working on the initiative with creative agency Droga5 and The Shoe Surgeon, rolled out the campaign ahead of the 8 March tournament tip off.
The activation opened with a hype video teaser on 2 March,
which was followed on 5 March by the central ‘Pie Tops 2’ spot.
This TV spot, which runs in both 30- and 15-second versions and will run through to the end of the tournament, focuses on friends, fans and highlighting the new shoe features.
It was also amplified across the brand’s standard digital and social channels including YouTube
and Twitter.
Introducing #PieTops II. One button orders pizza. Another button pauses your TV so you don't miss a thing during #MarchMadness. pic.twitter.com/wtohS3x4tV
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) March 5, 2018
#PieTops II features include a patent leather marinara splash, cheese grater mesh sides and gold lace tips. Oh and they order your pizza and pause your TV. pic.twitter.com/vVKTrdDicX
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) March 5, 2018
As well as digital and social work, further supporting elements include a media integration with Turner and CBS, plus a custom content series with Bleacher Report and Yahoo Sports throughout the tournament and digital assets at Pizza Hut’s US website.
“Last year was a huge success and was about highlighting our ease of ordering, but [this year} we’re most focused on the delivery occasion and on making sure consumers watching NCAA March Madness basketball at home don’t miss a minute of that action when their pizza gets delivered. You don’t want to miss a play, and that passion and engagement was really the impetus [for the pause button],” said Pizza Hut USA chief marketing officer Zipporah Allen
“What we love about partnering with him [Shoe Surgeon] is he specializes in creating custom sneakers, he’s well known in sneaker culture and he’s just a fabulous partner to work with on something as special as this,” Allen added.
Last year, only 64 pairs of Pie Tops were made available to members of the media, influencers and a few select superfans.
According to Allen, last year was a huge success and the fans number one request was ‘Where can I get a pair?’.
So this time around Pizza Hut has partnered with HBX.com to sell 50 pairs of Pie Tops II during the week of 19 March (leveraging the ‘Sweet 16’ phase of the tournament).
A further 50 pairs will be given away through social media and raffled off around the ‘Final Four Fan Fest’ in San Antonio.
Comment:
Whether this is a tech-led stunt to drive PR, or an inventive way to drive home an ordering-led service message, it is clear that the ‘Internet Of Things (IoT)’ marketing trend (focused on ‘products as campaigns’) continues to accelerate across the sports and sponsorship landscape.
This initiative perfectly reflects the often crazy, college comedy creative approach around the university hoops tournament.
Will the brand soon be taking this comic campaign approach to its new NFL sponsorship?
Pizza Hut made partnership marketing headlines last week when it replaced the NFL’s incumbent pizza partner Papa John’s following the latter brand ending its tie-up early following its outspoken opposition to the #TakeAKnee protest.
Links:
Pizza Hut
https://www.youtube.com/user/pizzahut
https://www.facebook.com/PizzaHut/
Droga5
NCAA March madness
http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness
