Pizza Hut, one of the most recognized brands around the globe, has just launched its newest brand campaign: “Newstalgia” (New + Nostalgia). Pizza Hut’s latest strategy will devote all efforts to celebrate what fans know, remember, and love about this pizza establishment: the delightful aroma of pizza that captivated your sense of smell as soon as you enter the premises, the charming red booth decked out in a red and white checkered tablecloth illuminated by a Tiffany-style lamp, and the audacious act of scoring a fair supply of quarters to play classic arcade games while waiting for your order to come out. All the elements needed to reminisce childhood memories.
But how is this feeling achieved? Due to curfews and restrictions in restaurant attendance, the campaign brings the celebration right to your home. With the order of a $10 Tastemaker pizza, customers will receive the pizza packed in a limited-edition PAC-MAN box that features a printed QR code. When scanning the code with a smartphone, a PAC-MAN AR (Augmented Reality) version of the iconic game will be revealed for the enjoyment of kids and grown-ups. Moreover, you will be able enter a sweepstakes to win a custom PAC-MAN game cabinet by sharing your game score on Twitter using hashtags #PizzaHutARcade #Sweepstakes. Cool, right?
The intention of the initial stage of this campaign is to make customers reminiscence about childhood from the safety of their home, while emotionally preparing them to go back to establishments once restrictions are eased in the near future. Simultaneously, it introduces these elements with catchy tech developments to younger generations.
It is an uplifting strategy for Pizza Hut: cool, refreshing, engaging, and fun. It transcends age requirements, appealing from middle-aged customers to young generations, combining old and new tech. Furthermore, the analogy of using pizza and PAC-MAN creates a perfect partnership. The original PAC-MAN’s design and creation was inspired by the shape of a pizza with a slice taken out of it.
The PAC-MAN box, AR game and TV piece are just part of the initial stage of the campaign. Throughout 2021, Pizza Hut will be adding inventive pieces to incentive consumption and will also be using entertainment and pop culture in innovative aspects. Personally, I cannot wait to see what comes next!
