Pizza Hut Uses AR and Social Media to Promote Ninja Turtles and Cheesy Bites

Pizza Hut And Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesPizza Hut is utilising augmented reality technology and a large social media campaign to help reintroduce its Cheesy Bites pizza in the US, as part of partnership with the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film.

The partnership revives a long-standing connection between the company and the Turtles, who are famously fond of pizza. In the past, Pizza Hut has promoted previous films and live concerts with packaging promotions, television adverts and other marketing efforts. Courtney Moscovic, associate manager of public relations at Pizza Hut said, “there is no denying that both the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pizza Hut are iconic brands with a rich history.”

The social media campaign will involve both a hashtag promotion where Twitter and Instagram users are offered an opportunity to win gift cards and other prizes, and an online video teaching fans how to cut pizza the turtle way. Fans will be able to request their pizza cut Katana style, into four large slices, when ordering, to draw a closer experience to the film.

In addition, Pizza Hut is including an augmented reality box topper on all Cheesy Bites pizzas (including the hidden, online-only pizzas inspired by the individual turtles) which will give customers an opportunity to unlock extended footage from the movie and additional content through an interactive AR experience.

Other elements of the partnership include a national television spot and a life-sized recreation of the Pizza Hut Pizza Thrower toy which will make appearances at live events.

“We just couldnt seem to keep the Turtles from devouring all the Pizza Hut pizza on set,” said LeeAnne Stables, executive vice president of marketing partnerships at Paramount Pictures. “This national partnership delivers so many cool and innovative ways for Ninja Turtle fans to take part in the excitement around the film release.”