NFL signs Little Caesars as new pizza sponsor—behind the deal

Little Caesars will replace Pizza Hut as the NFL's pizza sponsor in a deal execs at the Detroit-based chain say is a touchdown for its brand strategy. The agreement includes a set of exclusive rights to leverage league marks and participate in official events. Little Caesars would be the third pizza chain to inhabit the “official pizza” designation over the last five years: Pizza Hut has been the official NFL Pizza sponsor since 2018, when it took over from Papa Johns. Pizza Hut, a division of Yum Brands, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brands on the rise A look at up-and-coming brands disrupting their categories Read more here The Little Caesars deal comes only weeks after its chief marketing officer, Jeff Klein, announced he was departing for a similar role at Popeyes Louisiana Chicken. Terms of the new agreement between Little Caesars and the NFL were not disclosed. Greg Hamilton, senior VP of marketing for Little Caesars and the chain’s interim CMO, in an interview said the NFL deal represented a “huge” opportunity for the chain to reach the league's dedicated audience of more than 100 million fans who are also enthusiastic pizza eaters. It will deliver messages around convenience and product quality—reflecting strategic areas of focus for a chain perhaps best known for value. “We were looking for the best way to enhance the sales momentum that we’ve seen for the past several years, and we believe [the NFL partnership] was really consistent with our strategy,” Hamilton said. “We’re going to focus on greater exposure of our brand from a taste and quality perspective, as well as creating greater utilization of our digital channels. We know the NFL will be really effective at reaching a wide audience … and we realized it was incredibly synergistic to what we were trying to do. “There are probably some people who will be reintroduced to the brand for the first time in a long time as a result of this partnership,” Hamilton added. Little Caesars is a private company that does not release sales data. It refers to itself as the world's third-largest pizza chain, with stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 27 countries and territories. Little Caesars has leveraged sports coalitions and the NFL in the past to deliver its big messages. A prior deal as an official NHL sponsor—along with a 2020 Super Bowl commercial—helped the brand get the word out about a newly launched delivery platform. (Little Caesars remains an official NHL sponsor in Canada. Its founder and controlling family-run parent Ilitch Holdings, also owns the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and baseball’s Detroit Tigers). Subscribe to Ad Age Sign up now for the latest industry news and analysis Click here The brand, whose creative agency of record is McKinney, has devoted considerable investment toward digital media in recent years, Hamilton said, which supports various areas of focus like delivery and pickup. But in a fragmenting media world, live sports are among the few properties that can deliver big TV audiences, Hamilton noted, and the NFL is the most powerful of those. “Our brand is digitally heavy in terms of investments, but we also understand the power of traditional television,” he said. “A lot of that power now resides in the sports space--more than it has ever has before. People are still watching the games live. And the size of that audience is heads and shoulders above all other sports properties. We feel it’s going to be a great place for us.” In a release, Little Caesars said “social media games, new products, new packaging, and unique promotions,” associated with the sponsorship would be revealed before the start of the 2022 season and continue throughout the course of the sponsorship. Hamilton noted the NFL also provides an opportunity for Little Caesars to highlight and expand its charitable efforts. For example, the chain plans to utilize its “Love Kitchen”—a big-rig mobile kitchen that’s been feeding hungry and homeless since 1985—at NFL “tentpole” events, such as the annual draft, and training camp openings and other properties supporting its brand year-round. “We’re thrilled to welcome Little Caesars to the NFL family,” Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and executive VP of NFL Partnerships, said in a press release. “With a focus on quality and convenience, Little Caesars offers unmatched value for our fans, and we look forward to working together to positively impact communities across the United States.”

NFL signs Little Caesars as new pizza sponsor—behind the deal

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