The Struggle Bus
Client: Pizza Hut
Pizza is an incredibly fun category. It’s also an incredibly competitive category, with brands pulling out all the stops as they try to establish themselves as consumers’ go-to pizza option. Domino’s Pizza Tracker helped establish them as the go-to for delivery. Papa Johns’ association with Shaquille O’Neal has helped in establishing them as the go-to for sports parties and tailgates. Little Caesars crushes competitors when it comes to deals, thus establishing them as the go-to for consumers looking for value.
But where does that leave Pizza Hut?
The Research
Pizza brands tend to associate themselves with good vibes and good times.
An audit of the space showed lots of happy people during happy times, happily enjoying their pizzas with family or friends.
Pizza is great for the good times. It’s also a great pick-me-up for the not-so-good times.
15% of Americans list pizza as their favorite comfort food - making it the most popular comfort food in the US. And comfort foods not only taste good, they actually lessen the impact of stress. Eating sweet and starchy food (like pizza) helps our bodies make serotonin, which makes us feel calmer and decreases stress hormones.
Pizza Hut in particular has a lot of ‘comfort food’ vibes.
Comfort food is often rooted in childhood favorites. And Pizza Hut’s nostalgic ties childhood (think back to eating that free personal pan pizza under the Tiffany lamps after a summer of reading with BookIt!) make it an even more comforting brand than competitors.
Comfort foods are most valuable when people need comfort.
According to research by the Health Education Department, negative emotional states prompt us turn to comfort food to feel safe and in control. In fact one of the country’s most beloved comfort foods, Kraft macaroni and cheese, was born in response to consumer needs during the Great Depression.
The Insight: While the good times are nice to be a part of, true loyalty is built during not-so-good times.
The Strategy: Be there in times of struggle.
The execution: The struggle Bus
The struggle bus was a way to deliver some respite to those who found themselves in times of struggle - think hangovers, all-night study sessions, or the emotional turmoil of having just watched your favorite sports team get defeated. Inside were lounge areas, beds for power napping, soothing videos, interactive selfie experiences, and of course, plenty of Pizza Hut pizza.
BRINGING THE STRATEGY TO LIFE
Being there in times of struggle required us to identify key opportunities where we could add value. We decided to debut the bus at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in New Orleans - a place we knew people would be struggling with things like hangovers or the crushing defeat of their beloved team. Following that debut we went on a month-long tour of college campuses to give those in dire need of a study break the opportunity to chill out on the bus and eat pizza.
We also knew that owning the struggle could get real depressing, real fast. And so we were careful to balance the overall value proposition with a lighthearted tone. Emojis and pizza puns made everything feel fun, while pizza-branded eye masks and gravity blankets ensured that the soothing nature of pizza really shined through.
The end result was an incredibly fun, incredibly popular activation that showed consumers why Pizza Hut is the go-to cure for the common struggle.
Want to see even more? Check out this article from Ad Age. Or this one from Forbes. Or maybe this one from QSR Magazine.
Teammates: Tom Hamling (Group Creative Director), Dale Austin (Creative Director), Brandon Curl (Creative Director), AK Sanford (Associate Creative Director), Dylan Meagher (Associate Creative Director), Frank Senyo Tamakloe (Associate Creative Director), Josh Perry (Copywriter) Sabia Siddiqi (Group Account Director), Lacey Bobo (Account Director), Maria Bongiovani (Associate Director of Comms Planning), and many more