I'm a pretty zealous cook, and never more so than during these past months in quarantine. I obviously don't go out, and I want to make sure each grocery run is as productive as possible.
But by Friday night, probably like you, I'm feeling like an empty husk of a human and just want to melt into the sofa without having to worry—or even think—about food prep.
So nine times out of 10, I order pizza. And let me tell you, I am...real tired of pizza.
Fried chicken chain Popeyes spotted this as an opportunity for revenue growth way back in February, before Covid-19 even hit the U.S. During a brand audit with its marketing team, Popeyes saw that "pizza night" was a frequent family tradition, but one perpetuated more by ease than excitement.
Now, after months of quarantine, that opportunity has gotten even wider for Popeyes thanks to the massive growth of delivery and growing consumer exhaustion with weekly pizza delivery.
"They're running out of options for what to eat for dinner," Popeyes North America CMO Bruno Cardinali told me last night. "People are just getting a little tired of always ordering pizza."
Today, Popeyes launches its campaign taking aim at the pizza industry with a video of its real attempts to follow pizza delivery drivers and offer customers an exchange of chicken for pizza.
Did it work? Head over to Adweek.com to check out the "Pizza Party Crashers" stunt and learn more from my chat with the brand's North American marketing chief.
Personally, I'm hoping the pizza brands will hit back. Not too long ago, Domino's was one of the most creative marketers in the game (remember Paving for Pizza?), but the whole category has been oddly quiet beyond promotions and promises of no-contact delivery.
Maybe this will fire them back up? If not, you can expect other delivery-prioritizing brands to try eating their lunch. Or at least their Friday night please-don't-make-me-think-of-what-to-eat dinner.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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