January and February are the most competitive months for football teams – and for pizza – with more purchases and pies eaten than any other time of year.
While teams are fighting for yards, brands are fighting for eyeballs and eating occasions. During this competitive time, DIGIORNO® needed to break through to inspire the "planned" occasions typically reserved for delivery. The brand had to showcase what makes it unique: from watching the crust rise to the fresh crunch of slicing it, baking a DIGIORNO pizza is as much of an experience as eating it. And as delivery giants continued to outspend DIGIORNO 20:1 in advertising and sponsorships, DIGIORNO needed to be innovative and unexpected with its approach.
DIGIORNO® set out to develop an integrated campaign that strategically positioned the brand, showing how its offerings help pizza fans elevate occasions.
Enter: "Rise to the Occasion: A Pizza Anthem": a one-of-a-kind electric party anthem to provide entertainment and utility for DIGIORNO consumers while their pizza is baking fresh in the oven, to take the moments that matter to the next level. The marketing platform was designed to show fans who the life of the party really was – no matter the outcome on the field.
The strategy was to capitalize on The Big Game as one of the most celebrated events for pizza lovers, to steal "planned" occasions from delivery and drive purchases of DIGIORNO®. To do this, the team would create a unique and engaging narrative showing DIGIORNO pizza's oven-baked power in an unexpected form.
- DIGIORNO collaborated with a cast of top personalities from sports, music and social media in a one-of-a-kind experience to create "Rise to the Occasion: A Pizza Anthem", to show how baking a DIGIORNO® elevates every occasion – and cut through the clutter of football season, and leave pizza lovers with one simple thought: "When DIGIORNO's in the oven, it's a party"
- DIGIORNO recruited Grammy Award-winning rapper, DJ and producer Redfoo to help write the ultimate pizza party jam, adding his unique brand of enthusiasm and musical experience throughout
- To join him in the epic music video, they enlisted pro linebacker Von Miller to help bring the party to life with his inimitable moves and Big Game expertise as co-host of the ultimate pizza get-together
- Other music contributors include: social media stars and musicians Devvon Terrell, Diamond White, Madilyn Bailey, Marcus Perez and O-Fresh
- All of the music influencers who starred in the anthem were passionate about contributing to the lyrics – which pushed digital content boundaries and gave a taste of how DIGIORNO takes a party from "ho-hum" to "OH YEAH"
- DIGIORNO brand manager, Chris Brody, who was a rapper in a previous career, contributed his passion and lyrics to the track – as well as a cameo verse in the song
- DIGIORNO worked with social media platform partners to design an innovative three-phase plan to preview, launch and sustain Pizza Anthem and implemented a structured multi-channel rollout of the campaign.
- Before hitting play on the anthem, it was teased over social media with a :15-second YouTube trailer video, and teaser post content
- The full music video launched in January – just in time for the football playoffs – on the DIGIORNO Pizza YouTube page, supported by integrated efforts to connect with key pizza purchasers:
- 24-hour YouTube masthead takeover
- Earned media efforts, including press release distribution and targeted outreach to sports, lifestyle and music outlets, generating warm reception for the anthem
- Influencer-led content, featuring behind-the-scenes YouTube videos, along with creator content offering an intimate look at the personalities of the track's stars and their contributions to the project
- Sports-related media integration with properties like NFL Twitter Amplify, Bustle and Sports Illustrated
- Music-related partnerships with platforms like SoundCloud and Spotify, where "Pizza Anthem" was promoted and made available for streaming
- Alternate cuts, including influencer-focused content and behind-the-scenes, optimized for social feeds and pre-rolls sustained the video's momentum
Integrated Campaign Results:
Total integrated campaign generated 719 million impressions
o More than 300 million impressions in YouTube masthead takeover, alone
Exceeded earned media goals (113 million impressions, 188% of high-end goal)
o Top placements: The Daily Meal, AdWeek, The Drum
o 99% of coverage was positive/neutral (9% above goal)
- In two months, "Rise to the Occasion: A Pizza Anthem" video was viewed more than 43 million times on social media
- Received more than 2,570 hours of listening time
Sales Figures:
DIGIORNO® Pizza saw substantial lifts in purchase funnel metrics – including awareness (aided and unaided), message association, brand favorability, purchase intent – doubling CPG food averages
Drove sales and share increase for second consecutive year, achieving five-year highs in base velocities
When the track dropped, it was a hit. More than a just a pizza party, the Rise to the Occasion Pizza Anthem campaign was a fresh baked aroma of delicious things to come for DIGIORNO, propelling the brand to a strong 2017 start.
Video for Rise to the Occasion: A Pizza Anthem
