Little Caesar's: Introducing Delivery
Little Caesar's needed to announce its long-awaited entry into the pizza delivery market to both existing loyal customers and new audiences. The objective was to generate excitement and drive immediate adoption of the new convenient delivery service, overcoming the brand's previous lack of this offering.
Creative Idea
Repetitive, iconic "Pizza! Pizza!" chant and sounds announced Little Caesar's new delivery service.
Little Caesar's launched its delivery service by leveraging its iconic "Pizza! Pizza!" chant, creating a repetitive and almost hypnotic audio experience that built anticipation and humorously highlighted the brand's long-awaited expansion into home delivery.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread Meets Dwight Schrute
A High Stakes Super Bowl Debut
Marking the brand’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance, the campaign signaled a massive infrastructure shift as Little Caesars partnered with DoorDash to end its 60-year history as a carry-out only chain. Chief Creative Officer Jonathan Cude of McKinney noted the immense pressure of honoring the brand’s "legendary creative legacy" on the world’s biggest stage. The timing proved fortuitous; launching just weeks before the COVID-19 lockdowns, the pivot to delivery allowed the brand to thrive during a period when the service became a global necessity.
Chaos at Sliced Bread Inc.
Director Frank Todaro of Moxie Pictures - famous for the "This Is SportsCenter" series - leaned into practical effects to create a sense of "comedic anarchy." The "Sliced Bread Headquarters" set featured a real ostrich, a man ziplining across the office, and a copier being thrown out of a window to capture genuine reactions from the cast. Lead talent Rainn Wilson channeled his iconic "Dwight Schrute" energy, particularly in teasers where his frantic "It is happening!" delivery became an instant meme.
Dominating the Digital Conversation
The campaign was a pioneer in bridging traditional TV with social virality. The #BestThingSince TikTok challenge generated over 7 billion views, resulting in 1,138 organic user-generated ads. According to EDO, it was the #1 restaurant commercial of Super Bowl LIV for Search Engagement Volume, outperforming McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. This momentum translated to a 4.5% increase in U.S. system sales for 2020, with the brand reporting that delivery growth quadrupled following the launch. Little Caesars even offered a free Hot-N-Ready Lunch Combo to every family in America if the ad hit #1 on the USA TODAY Ad Meter, generating massive PR buzz despite falling just short of the top spot.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Little Caesar's possessed a highly recognizable "Pizza! Pizza!" slogan and a reputation for affordable, ready-to-go pizza.
Category
The pizza delivery category often focused on speed or complex ordering, overlooking the simple, immediate craving for pizza.
Customer
Customers desired convenient, immediate access to their favorite affordable pizza, often experiencing an almost primal, urgent craving.
Culture
A culture of instant gratification and on-demand services made the introduction of delivery a highly anticipated and relevant event.
Company
Little Caesar's possessed a highly recognizable "Pizza! Pizza!" slogan and a reputation for affordable, ready-to-go pizza.
Category
The pizza delivery category often focused on speed or complex ordering, overlooking the simple, immediate craving for pizza.
Strategy:
Leverage an iconic brand asset to announce a long-awaited service, satisfying an immediate consumer need.
Customer
Customers desired convenient, immediate access to their favorite affordable pizza, often experiencing an almost primal, urgent craving.
Culture
A culture of instant gratification and on-demand services made the introduction of delivery a highly anticipated and relevant event.
Strategy:
Leverage an iconic brand asset to announce a long-awaited service, satisfying an immediate consumer need.
Results
Anita Klopfenstein (Chief Information Officer; Little Caesars Pizza) states that Little Caesars is a $4 billion revenue company, the third largest pizza company in the US with locations in over 20 countries. She reports that since implementing new prioritization strategies, projects are being completed on time and somewhat on budget. Furthermore, Little Caesars successfully reduced cashier training time from two to three days to 15 minutes by simplifying their POS system. Kirk Ball (Chief Information Officer; Giant Eagle) highlights that Giant Eagle is a privately-owned $9 billion supermarket and retail chain with more than 36,000 employees and 470 locations across many US states. He mentions the dramatic explosion of curbside pickup services during the pandemic, leading to the acceleration of its rollout.
$9 billion
Giant Eagle annual revenue
15 minutes
reduced cashier training time
3rd largest
Little Caesars US pizza company ranking
Strategy Technique
Exaggerate to Reveal the Truth
The campaign exaggerated the intense, almost obsessive craving for pizza through repetitive chanting and sounds. This highlighted the simple truth that Little Caesar's delivery was the ultimate solution to satisfy that immediate desire.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Unexpected audio
The campaign utilized a repetitive, almost hypnotic audio track featuring the brand's iconic "Pizza! Pizza!" chant and bell knocker sounds. This unexpected and insistent auditory experience built anticipation for the new delivery service.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's craft (as a digital symposium) excels in curating and articulating complex strategic insights from industry leaders, presented with professional clarity and engaging intellectual substance.
The articulate formulation of both the discussion questions and the panelists' expert insights ensures clarity, depth, and accessibility of complex business strategies.
The professional and engaging demeanor of the hosts and panelists, along with their clear verbal delivery, enhances the credibility and watchability of the insightful discussion.
The magic truly comes from the synergy between the thoughtful curation of the discussion topics and speakers, and the clear, articulate communication of their valuable business insights.
