Beware the Ides of Midlife
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Advertiser: Little Caesars
Agency: Bozell Worldwide, Detroit
Challenge: Draw attention to a two-month pizza giveaway promotion intended to jump-start sales.
The Ad: Little Caesars kicks off a 40th-anniversary promotion with a TV spot that features a Little Caesar character going through a midlife crisis. In an attempt to impress a svelte young woman, Little Caesar trades his clunker for a Dodge Viper. Attracted by the car--and the pizza in the back seat--she accepts a ride.
Comment: A year ago, Little Caesars hired Bozell and directed it to replace the celebrated “Pizza! Pizza!” ads with a campaign focused on the food. The result: ads in which talking pizzas hype Little Caesars. In the anniversary commercial, the spotlight is more on the restaurant chain’s icon than its food. (A spokeswoman said the talking pizzas will appear in upcoming spots.) The ad shamelessly uses dirty-old--make that ancient--man cliches. And it raises doubts about the appeal of the pizza. Would the woman have accepted a ride if Little Caesar hadn’t replaced his clunker? Details about the offer, which ends May 31, do come through. $$+
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