Ordering pizza while playing your favorite game? Here’s how this pizza chain pulled it off!
I am a huge fan of this strategy because it shows that the sky is the limit when coming up with ways to attract an audience’s attention. Today, we’ll talk about a digital guerrilla marketing tactic that took advantage of the popularity of pizza among gamers! Curious to know more? Continue reading below. |
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Ordering pizza while playing your favorite game? Here’s how this pizza chain pulled it off! Pizza has long been considered by gamers as one of the best foods to consume while gaming. The crisp crust, the sumptuous tomato sauce, and the cheese that melts in one’s mouth is so satisfying especially when consumed during an intense gaming session. This is why each time a typical gamer embarks on his or her gaming session, there’s always a good chance that a pizza has been ordered beforehand. After all, when someone has already started playing, it’s hard to do so when there’s a looming pizza order on the horizon. … BUT what if you can order your pizza in the very game you’re playing? That would make things sooooo much easier, right? The question though is if it’s possible… … and that’s exactly what Pizza Hut Australia sought to answer through its campaign in 2022! Ordering Pizza in the Middle of a Warzone Launching a campaign targeting gamers is a challenging endeavor because this segment has an audience whose attention span is already preoccupied. Instead of treating this as a setback, Pizza Hut Australia and its agency partner, VML Sydney, took a step back and dug deep into the interests of their target audience.
As it turns out, the pizza chain and the ad agency didn’t have to split their hairs in finding a solution to their predicament… all they had to do was leverage the popularity of pizza among gamers. So, how did the campaign play out? Pizza Hut Australia turned its sights on “Call of Duty: Warzone,” a popular multiplayer shooter that has thousands of active players each day and a “proximity chat” feature that allowed gamers in a given area in-game to communicate with each other freely. The pizza brand gathered a team of streamers whose role was to play a game of hide and seek with other players. To notify the latter of their presence and free pizza, the streamers utilized the “proximity chat” feature of “Call of Duty: Warzone.” Gamers who succeeded were given free pizzas … with the streamers taking their orders.
Were all these efforts worth it? YES! The campaign received widespread participation among gamers as 400 pizzas were given away on opening weekend alone. Also, Pizza Hut Australia generated lots of buzz for its brand because it was able to tap into an audience segment that was positively inclined towards its core product. Lastly, the “Pizza Hunt” campaign was shortlisted in the Brand Experience category of the 2024 D&AD Awards. These results are definitely a testament to the success of Pizza Hut Australia and VML Sydney, so kudos to them! — Capturing the attention of a target audience is one of the most challenging tasks brands and marketers face. This is because attention spans these days are short, making it difficult to stay relevant in the eyes of everyone. By approaching gamers in their natural turf, Pizza Hut Australia was able to genuinely and meaningfully interact with its target customers. As a result, the campaign didn’t feel nor look like an ad placement; instead, it was an authentic experience that gamers genuinely enjoyed. The bottom line? If you truly want to gain attention for your brand in a meaningful and authentic way, immerse yourself in the world of your target audience! This way, your campaigns will become an experience to be remembered instead of an ad placement that’s to be dismissed and forgotten. Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. EXCITING NEWS AHEAD The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool. With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent. With that, I’m happy to share with you that my book, co-authored with Walter Scott Lamb, is now available on Amazon! Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work & The Independent Mind This new bestseller is an essential read for both independent professionals and corporate executives. Here, we provide educational and practical guides to unpack the ever-growing workforce and offer you crucial ways to become a client of choice. Click on the link above to order your copy. Let this bestselling book help you future-proof your career and organization in the new world of work. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one clothing brand narrated "The Greatest Story Ever WORN" in irrationally cinematic fashion? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
