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From Apryl Duncan, for About.com

Pizza Hut or Pasta Hut?

Friday April 18, 2008
Pizza Hut's debut of Tuscani Pastas to its menu has left consumers with brand confusion. The nation's largest pizza chain has launched a major ad campaign that says the pasta's so good the company's changing its name. Commercials hit the air showing the Pizza Hut logo changing into the Pasta Hut logo with the tag line, "Pasta so good we changed our name to Pasta Hut!" An Email campaign also hit inboxes with the subject line: "Pizza Hut is now Pasta Hut!" Pizza Hut claims the rebranding was just an April Fool's Day joke to grab the attention of its consumers for its new menu items.

But the Dallas Morning News reports the company's changing the logo on its Dallas North Tollway headquarters to the Pasta Hut logo for about a month. Ads continue to air showing the Pasta Hut logo fading into the Pizza Hut logo at the end of the commercials.

Some consumers have laughed off the chain's attempt at an April Fool's joke. Others have posted messages in forums bashing the name change campaign while others believe Pizza Hut really has changed its name permanently.

Now it's your turn to chime in on the Pasta Hut commercials. What do you think of the idea behind this campaign?

Comments

April 18, 2008 at 1:01 pm
(1) Adam says:

This is the dumbest idea for a campaign I have seen in a long time. If it is supposed to be a joke, they did a terrible job of promoting it as a joke. I don’t think customers like to be the butt of a company’s ill-conceived joke either. Take a look at the ridiculous Burger King commercials that are supposed to be hidden camera ads.

If this is not a joke, Pizza Hut has really pulled a foolish and failed publicity stunt.

Whatever Pizza Hut is doing, it’s just plain stupid to deliberately confuse your customers. There are a lot of people out there who think this name change is real.

April 22, 2008 at 3:22 am
(2) Nabil says:

I think it a good way to promote awareness among the consumers. Atleast Pizza Hut is in the limelight and every1’s talking about it, and will for once atleast try out their so-called awesome menu.
Objective acheived…word of mouth advertising.

April 24, 2008 at 3:06 pm
(3) Nick says:

It got people talking about it, I think that was the point. We all are aware that Pizza Hut has pasta.

April 25, 2008 at 5:21 pm
(4) unkown says:

As an advertisng specialist that works on Pizza Hut and this campaign I must say get a life and have a since of humor.

April 27, 2008 at 8:10 pm
(5) Blahh Retard says:

Its smart i reckon :)

April 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm
(6) Allen says:

To “unkown”: Don’t be a horse’s behind. Have you actually visited any forums lately talking about this? There are so many people who honestly think Pizza Hut has changed its name. Even well after your joke campaign is over.

Next time you want to pull an April Fool’s joke on customers, you might want to make sure the commercials that say you’re changing your name aren’t airing a week after April Fool’s Day.

Is this your first day in advertising “unkown”? Telling your customers to get a life and have a “since” (your spelling) of humor is a great way to get brand awareness. Right.

You might want to learn how to spell since you say you’re in “advertisng.” If you can’t spell the industry you’re working in, then you obviously shouldn’t be working in it. And since you can’t use “since” of humor the right way, maybe you can learn some common sense since you think you’re so smart “unkown” - (your version of how to spell “unknown.”)

And this is who Pizza Hut has working on their campaign? No wonder their ads are such disasters.

April 28, 2008 at 3:58 pm
(7) Woody says:

The commercial with the people eating at a restaurant and then the Pizza Hut delivery drivers showing up has been the best to announce the pasta so far. The others have been a waste of airtime and I can’t remember a single one, which shows how good they are, yeah?

May 21, 2008 at 8:25 pm
(8) Gullible says:

Well, it totally fooled me. I believed until just recently the name change was for real. And now I know they have pasta. I guess it worked.

June 30, 2008 at 11:58 am
(9) Toby says:

I, personally, hate the idea that a place where I’ve had some landmark times and celebrations over the past 20 years (at least) is gonna change its name. There is a Pizza Hut that I go by at least once a week, and I ALWAYS have fond memories EVERY time I see it. I probably won’t go to Pasta Hut, but it was good while it lasted.

August 30, 2008 at 2:45 am
(10) lol says:

just a reminder there not changing there name. man u all need to chill there is more happening in the world than a pizza hut campaign. i see it may have confused you allen but this is how you get your customers talking about your product and well lets face it, people are talking about it and now we all know pizza hut also do pasta and we now all know that there not changing there name and to be honest they would be suicidal to do so this is what makes the viewer think is this true and they then look further into the matter hence selling more products. lighten up and just enjoy life!

September 2, 2008 at 11:31 pm
(11) Tara says:

Although it appears to be a “dumb” campaign, it got my attention enough to send me to Pizza Hut and order the Pasta. And let me tell you something, it was delicious! Yumm. Great job, Pasta Hut!

September 6, 2008 at 10:03 pm
(12) nick says:

I’ve seen a Pizza Hut commercial where the girl uses the word DECADENT to describe the pasta. Thats a real shame

September 7, 2008 at 11:11 pm
(13) kevin says:

I’m sorry, but does anyone actually know the definition of the word “decadent”?
Really, it’s not good, it means “marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay”. Seriously, only idiots would ever use the word “decadent” to describe something they like.

September 19, 2008 at 11:04 pm
(14) Heather says:

Thank you!!! A lot of people keep talking about the “decadent” quote but no one seems to understand she used the wrong word!!!

October 7, 2008 at 7:24 am
(15) JT says:

It’s not a stunt, at least here in the UK the restaurants are really changing their name to Pasta Hut.
It seems to be working fine here

October 9, 2008 at 12:11 am
(16) Ian says:

I’d love Pasta Hut.

October 9, 2008 at 5:58 pm
(17) lizzy says:

this is all a bit confusing , a didnt actually believe they were really changin their name, but now ma friends actually think its for real, a wud b guttd if it wa real=pizza hut is ma fav food place ever!!!!

October 12, 2008 at 5:04 pm
(18) anna says:

dudes… decadent? yea, i think it probably has two definitions… decadent (pronounced deck-a-dent) is usually used in chocolate commercials? like rich, delicious, etc. if you wanted to pronounce it as decay-dent, it would probably mean that moral decay bit. Yea… awkward.

October 21, 2008 at 12:30 pm
(19) Kirsty says:

Come on guys, Pasta Hut? Are you kidding me on? Pizza Hut rocks. Keep Pizza Hut !!

December 9, 2008 at 9:20 pm
(20) cc says:

Hey the pasta is great, hope ya like it ,, cuz the only chicken you gonna see is on the top of it,, put some chicken it it ppl

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