Muppets to star in Pizza Hut Super Bowl Commercial

[Zack the Dog]

Hey I found and article!

http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39602

Here's the whole artical but this is the only Muppet part,I hope other muppets are in the ad though, this should be great!

"Last week, the chain signed pop ditz-reality TV star Jessica Simpson and the Muppets to star in the Super Bowl effort. Pizza Hut wouldn't divulge the storyline, but Sean Gleason, vice president of marketing communications, described the idea as "Miss Piggy gets jealous of the latest 'it' girl."


PIZZA HUT TO KICK OFF $50 MILLION AD PUSH ON SUPER BOWL
Jessica Simpson, Muppets to Star in Spot for New Pie
January 19, 2004
QwikFIND ID: AAP30G
By Kate MacArthur
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Pizza Hut is making a $50 million Super Bowl bet, launching a pizza concept it hopes will reassert its family positioning and fend off increased category competition.

After months of sluggish sales and increased competition from the frozen-pizza segment and delivery leader Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut last February vowed to boost its marketing budget and refocus on the customer. Last May, Pizza Hut bowed its family positioning using the "Gather 'round the good stuff," theme line.

4 personal pies in one
The new "pie," dubbed the 4forAll, four individually topped 6-inch-by-6-inch square pies in a 16-inch box for $11.99. Each pie can be dressed with up to three toppings or use one of its Lover's line of pie-topping combinations.

The Yum Brands chain originally planned to launch its Homestyle Pizza during the Super Bowl, but changed its plans after a market test of the 4forAll in Jacksonville, Fla., late last summer.

"This is truly an exciting new offering," said Laura Ries, president of Atlanta-based marketing consultant Ries & Ries, saying that when a family orders pizza, "everybody wants something different. This is a unique offering more so than [past offerings] because it solves a real problem."

Big push before big game
Pizza Hut is leading up to a big push with a public relations and direct mail effort from Omnicom Group's TLP, Dallas, beginning today. Teaser TV spots from Omnicom sibling BBDO Worldwide, New York, will break the week of Jan. 26, building up to the pre-kick-off slot during the Feb. 1 Super Bowl.

Last week, the chain signed pop ditz-reality TV star Jessica Simpson and the Muppets to star in the Super Bowl effort. Pizza Hut wouldn't divulge the storyline, but Sean Gleason, vice president of marketing communications, described the idea as "Miss Piggy gets jealous of the latest 'it' girl."

"We're going to own the pre-game programming from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., which is prime pizza ordering in time for the game," said Cindy Davis, vice president of national marketing for Pizza Hut.

Tom James, chief marketing officer of Pizza Hut, expects the new pies to meet or exceed sales of its earlier Stuff Crust and Big New Yorker pies.

20% market share
With $5.1 billion in domestic sales in 2002, Pizza Hut controls roughly 20% of the pizza segment among the top 100 chains, according to Technomic. Pizza Hut recorded flat same-store sales for the fourth quarter despite a 4% boost in December. The frozen-pizza segment is expected to grow 6% through 2008 while ready-to-eat pizza will grow only 2.3%, according to a 2003 study from Business Trend Analysts' Leading Edge Reports.

 

[Phillip]

Thanks for the release Zack. That's an interesting combination. Jessica Simpson, Miss Piggy and the Muppets.

What do you guys think of the pairing?

 

[Whatever]

I was taught to believe "It's not good, it's not bad, it's just different" but this I think is rather pushing it.

 

[Luke]

I don't mind it seeing as Jessica Simpson is cute (i'm used to high maintenence girls) and well obviously, Miss Piggy is a diva too so they go well together. So yeah I can see the plot working and it being funny. I do have a problem with the Muppets being promoted to producers ever since the anniversary as a nice little novelty nostalgia act who mixes well with whatever the latest pop culture/reality TV fad of the day is but it does get them high profile coverage on TV, gets the brand out there again and brings the money rolling in so it'll do nicely for now. Beats me what they will achieve by going out and doing 'Wizard Of Oz' though as the follow on project - the kinda people watching this are the right people to get into the Muppets and watch that edgy Simpsons style 'Fox' TV show we were hoping for. It is very confusing lately - on one hand they are being promoted in guest appearances and adverts as a pop culture nostalgia thing and on the production side they are planning to do a very heavily family orientated production with a kiddie emphasis so show how sweet and tame they are with cute little WOZ action figures and plushies. Sounds like either Henson are either just taking anything they can to get the Muppets out there right now or there is so conflict over what the future strategy is (if there is one).

 

[Super Scooter]

*sigh*

I suppose I'll have to watch the Super Bowl now.

 

[jediX]

Yea... ::sigh as well:: I havn't watched that thing since, well, I don't remember. 1998? lol

 

[dmx10101]

"The Yum Brands chain originally planned to launch its Homestyle Pizza during the Super Bowl, but changed its plans after a market test of the 4forAll in Jacksonville, Fla., late last summer."
Hey look, they tested it where I live, and I didn't even realize they did. What a honor for Pizza Hut to choose my city to test a new type of pizza. Oh yea, and the commercial sounds great too. The Fun Muppets + Hot Jessica Simpson= Good Commercial.

 

[sarah_yzma]

I can see it working....there's a lot of space there for poking fun!

 

[Manda:-D]

I can see it working....there's a lot of space there for poking fun!

Let's just hope it's at Jessica Simpson & not the Muppets.

 

[sarah_yzma]

I think it will be a little going both ways, but I think the worst she can dig up on piggy is that her boyfriend won't settle down with her....I'm eager to see it!