Little Caesars goes after Detroit-style pizza competitors

Behind a deep dish of Motor City Pride, pizza chain Little Caesars in a new campaign is going after competitors serving what it considers inauthentic “Detroit-Style” pizza, including Pizza Hut. The effort—which includes a pledge to give coupons to people who have tried versions from other chains—comes as Detroit-style pizza gains acclaim around the country. Unlike its better-known regional siblings from New York and Chicago, Detroit pizza is a rectangular, deep-dish pizza known for its chewy crust, and crunchy, caramelized cheese edges. It is said to have originated in Detroit behind a pizza chef using Sicilian-style dough originally baked in an automotive drip pan. “The biggest question is why has it been a secret for so long. Here in Detroit, it’s been around for decades,” Little Caesars’ Chief Marketing Officer Greg Hamilton said in an interview. Little Caesars has offered its take since 2013, the longest among national pizza chains, Hamilton said. The style has been a focus of several recent marketing efforts, which come as Little Caesars continues to emphasize quality and authenticity in its products. Ad Age's Marketers of the Year The 10 marketers that broke through in 2022 See the full list here With the newest ads, created in partnership with ad agency McKinney, Little Caesars is playfully aiming its wrath toward chain competitors who have aped the style, particularly one based in Plano, Texas (Little Caesars won’t say who that is, but Pizza Hut matches the description). Jet's Pizza, another chain with a menu that includes Detroit-style pies, is based much closer to Detroit, in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The new Little Caesars spots spoof personal-injury lawyer commercials. An excitable attorney speaks directly to the camera encouraging those who bought Detroit-style pizza anywhere but from Little Caesars to “seek compensation” in the form of a discount from Little Caesars in exchange for uploaded receipts for deep-dish pizzas purchased at other chains. The campaign will have national buys on social, digital video and streaming audio but will bump up the firepower in Plano, with local TV buys, highway billboards and transit boards, paid social media, streaming audio and digital video placements. Pizza Hut has offered its own Detroit-style pizza as limited-time menu item on three occasions since early 2021. In September, it promoted its latest introduction of the item with a song by TikToker Jon Moss. Little Caesars said consumers can upload receipts to Detroitstylecompensation.com or by calling 800-428-DEEP, where they can receive a promo code for $3 off the chain’s $8.99 Detroit-style deep dish. Hamilton said he hoped the stunt will win Little Caesars more consideration with pizza buyers. The privately held chain calls itself the third-largest pizza chain in the world. “Everything we’re doing is about continuing to grow with new customers, with light customers, and with consumers who haven’t tried us for a long time,” Hamilton said. Last month Little Caesars ran a spot highlighting deep-dish authenticity. Shot at Detroit’s iconic Fox Theatre, the spot played off “Antiques Roadshow,” as an appraiser measures the pizza’s height and inspects its cheese but can’t resist eating the pizza before he can make a determination.

Little Caesars goes after Detroit-style pizza competitors

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