Pizza Hut taps into nostalgia demand with ‘Hut Originals’ platform

Nostalgia marketing efforts

Pizza Hut is leaning heavily into nostalgia, as nearly 155 restaurants are maintaining the chain’s classic Red Roof dine-in features, such as red cups, Tiffany-style lamps, arcade games and more. Systemwide, the chain is also bringing back its signature Book It program, in which children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade can earn free Personal Pan Pizzas by hitting monthly reading goals.

This year’s program runs from June through August, and families can set their monthly reading goals through the Book It mobile app. On June 10, any guests who present a Book It button from any year since its beginning, in 1984, can also receive a free Personal Pan Pizza.

Additionally, for the first time ever, Pizza Hut is teaming up with General Mills and Box Tops for Education to support local schools. Families can earn Box Tops for eligible schools by scanning receipts from Pizza Hut’s Book It family meal, which includes one medium one-topping pizza and two one-topping Personal Pan Pizzas for $14.99. For every Book It Meal purchased, a portion of proceeds will go toward supporting literacy.

The program and meal come on the heels of Pizza Hut’s Crispy Parm Pan Pizza launch, marking a new take on the chain’s signature Original Pan pizza and featuring extra cheese and a crispy parmesan cheese on the crust.

Hut originals platform

All of these components are part of a larger “Hut Originals” platform, created to “celebrate the moments, memories and menu items generations of fans share with Pizza Hut,” Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Friebe said in a statement.

“After seeing so much excitement from customers around our ‘Classic’ locations and the Pizza Hut originals people still know and love today, we knew it was the perfect time to launch Hut Originals,” she said. “Book It continues to be one of the most beloved and talked-about programs tied to the brand, and this summer we’re excited to bring fans new partnerships, experiences and nostalgic moments all summer long.”

Parents can sign children up to participate in Book It by downloading the free app on the App Store or Google Play and setting reading goals throughout June, July and August.

Pizza Hut’s “Hut Originals” platform comes as the company is currently undergoing a strategic review put into place by parent company Yum Brands late last year. The chain shed 8.2% of its systemwide sales last year, further ceding market share to Domino’s. In the past 10 years, the chain has closed over 1,500 locations, according to Technomic data, with plans to shutter 250 more this year.

Playing into nostalgia could create some momentum. New research from Technomic finds that nostalgia-driven marketing can boost purchase intent by as much as 50%.