Pizza Hut’s latest campaign finds the chain apologizing to Chicago for unveiling the city’s true pizza: tavern-style, not deep dish.

The campaign, called “Sorry, Chicago,” highlights the pizza—a thinner crust with toppings all the way to the edge and cut into squares—which the company announced last week. The spot cuts between angry Chicago citizens enjoying the new pizza while simultaneously berating Pizza Hut for sharing their secret with the world.

The campaign will run across national TV, digital and social media. Pizza Hut has also partnered with @DudeWithSign, who will hold up a Pizza Hut box to share that “Chicago Deep Dish is for Tourists” and “Deep Dish Pizza Is Just Lasagna.”

 

 

 

 

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The work is from Deutsch LA, which usually handles creative for Pizza Hut’s fellow Yum Brands chain Taco Bell. The assignment could signal changes to how the chain handles its agency roster. It comes in the wake of executive changes, including the May hiring of ex-PepsiCo executive Kalen Thornton as global chief brand officer and Melissa Friebe as U.S. chief marketing officer. Friebe joined after nearly three decades at Taco Bell, most recently as chief brand strategy officer. 

GSD&M has handled Pizza Hut’s creative since 2018. Late last year, Pizza Hut hired Mischief @ No Fixed Address as its social agency of record.

When quizzed about what the Deutsch assignment means long-term, a Pizza Hut spokesperson did not directly address GSD&M’s status, stating: “Given the numerous creative priorities on Pizza Hut’s slate by a roster of agencies, we tapped an agency already part of the Yum Brands! family to support this launch. We loved their response to the brief as they masterfully anchored the creative to the story of Chicago’s original style of pizza sparking great conversation and debate for our launch.”

Pizza Hut has struggled in the last few quarters, with same-stores sales down 7% in the first quarter and down 2% in the fourth quarter. For comparison, Domino’s same-store sales were up 5.6% in the first quarter and Papa John’s North America comparable sales were down nearly 2% for the same period. (Taco Bell same-store sales were up 1%.)

“Despite what you might think, real Chicagoans don’t eat deep dish all the time—they’ve been serving us a deep dish of lies!” Ryan Lehr, co-chief creative officer at Deutsch LA, said of the new campaign. “Tavern-style pizza is the true pizza of the people, and there’s no one better to share this secret with the rest of the country than Pizza Hut. And we absolutely love this work and loved doing it with the team at Pizza Hut, because who doesn’t like telling a secret now and then?”

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