Pizza Hut ‘first’ brand to launch YouTube channel
Pizza Hut is to become the first UK brand to launch a channel on social networking site YouTube.
The company will use the channel, Top That TV, to promote its new pizza Cheesy Bites. People are encouraged to upload their “cheesiest” videos to the site and the best clip each week will win £100 of Pizza Hut vouchers.
The deal with YouTube was planned and negotiated by Starcom, with advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy (W&K) providing the creative work.
Pizza Hut marketing manager Darrell Wade says/ “We’re the only restaurant business in the UK engaging with consumers in this way, and our aim is to build stronger relationships with teenagers and young adults.”
The competition, called the Top That Challenge, invites viewers to better extreme feats already seen on the site. Pizza Hut suggests as an example eating a pizza topped with 15 chillies.
W&K joint executive creative director Tony Davidson adds: “It was important for us to keep the user-generated ethos of YouTube, but give Pizza Hut a reason to be there that viewers would welcome.”
Pizza Hut appointed Alasdair Murdoch as chief executive earlier this year to replace John Derkach, who moved back to Whitbread as managing director of Costa Coffee (MW June 22). Murdoch joined from Pizza Hut France, where he was general manager.