New advertising from Donatos features the experiences around sharing pizza in an integrated campaign created by Fechtor Advertising. “Every piece is important” is the new tagline for the advertising being introduced system-wide by Donatos starting March 30, 2015.
The campaign includes television, radio, digital media, print, outdoor boards, and other branding elements, such as in-store marketing, uniforms, and pizza boxes. Unusual for the category, the advertising emphasizes the aftermath of a good time, rather than the good time itself. There is neither the singular focus on ingredients, nor the typical “bite-and-smile” shots typically seen in other food advertising.
Donatos, a family-owned company founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1963, has some 150 locations in six states. “A lot of pizza makers say that it’s all about the pizza. At Donatos they know it’s bigger than that,” says Stephen Fechtor, principal of Fechtor Advertising, based in Columbus, Ohio. “It’s about enhancing the experience of getting together with family, friends, and coworkers. It’s about enriching people’s lives and their relationships with one another. It’s about building community and putting people first—with Donatos pizza as a means to a bigger, and much more fulfilling end.”
The advertising puts the focus squarely on the emotional and experiential benefits that come to users. For example, a contented and exhausted grandfather proudly shares the highlights of his grandson’s birthday party while the camera pans across the post-party scene in the living room. In another spot, a husband parallels his wife’s book club with his own TV club, a sports viewing pizza party that happened on the same evening. A third execution conjures the good times of a pizza gathering that rewards friends for their help with a move to a new apartment.
There are six TV spots that vary in their approach, depending on the target audience and demographic. Donatos expects the marketing effort to sustain and increase sales in existing markets and encourage trial in new markets. With the launch of the new campaign, Donatos is increasing its media budget in selected markets. Before breaking the campaign to the public, Donatos spent several weeks meeting with franchise partners and associates throughout their system, sharing special messaging, and leading team-building activities to help everyone in the company understand and internalize the brand.
