National: Just Because It’s Viral Doesn’t Make It Good

Ok, as much as we don’t want to keep covering these idiotic fast food viral video marketing campaigns, this latest one from Pizza Hut is so galling, we almost feel the need to expunge it from our psyche by calling it out here.

Basically, the premise is that these guys go around and hang out in locally owned, mom-and-pop pizzerias, don’t order anything, and have a pizza delivered from Pizza Hut instead. At first we thought they were going to rather rudely make the point that they could get a delivery pizza faster or something, but they don’t even do that. They just run around acting like jerks for, apparently, no reason.

Anyway, look at the video below, then just see if you can find any redeeming value. How does this even work as an ad?

According to Ad Age, the chain went through a broker, Zadby, which set them up with video-makers Mediocre Films. The whole thing cost something like $25,000, which Zadby refunds if the videos don’t get enough hits. Though they’ve already reached past the minimum.

And we aren’t surprised they’re getting the hits. Hell, we’re helping them do it right now. But it’s not good publicity (we think P.T. Barnum was not really right on that point). There’s a reason why they don’t make videos of that Burger King character insulting children, or Ronald McDonald with his hand in the till. Though that would make for some much better YouTube fodder.

Pizza Hut’s Viral Attempt: Two Days, 100,000 Views [Ad Age]

National: Just Because It’s Viral Doesn’t Make It Good