While most restaurant brands chose not to advertise during the Super Bowl on Sunday, some are still are getting extra promotional mileage out of the National Football League’s championship game.
Papa John’s Pizza, which joined other former Super Bowl advertisers like Taco Bell and Denny’s on the sidelines during the big game this year, still had several offers related to the Super Bowl, including its current post-game promotion running through Wednesday, “Toppings for Touchdowns.”
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Because the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers racked up seven touchdowns during the game, Papa John’s is offering up to seven free toppings on a large cheese pizza ordered online at the regular price.
Papa John’s said it sold more than 1 million pizzas Sunday at its 2,848 restaurants in the United States, and the chain awarded a $45 gift card every 45 seconds to a randomly selected customer ordering online. Had the Super Bowl gone into overtime, the chain would have given a free large three-topping pizza to the more than 1.1 million people that have enrolled in its Papa Points online loyalty program.
“As the official pizza sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLV, the entire season was a tremendous success for Papa John’s,” said Andrew Varga, the brand’s chief marketing officer. “Toppings for Touchdowns is a great way to celebrate and, most importantly, thank our customers for a great season.”
A&W All-American Food, a 360-unit chain owned by Yum! Brands Inc., also will be offering a discount tied to the outcome of Super Bowl XLV. The brand is reprising its Perfect Pair promotion with Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings. Because Jennings, who wears jersey No. 85 for Super Bowl victor Green Bay, caught two touchdowns in the big game, A&W sold its Papa Burger Single for 85 cents Monday. Customers need to ask for the “Jennings Burger” to get the discount.
In addition, A&W will award $10 gift cards to 85 randomly selected fans who “like” the brand on its Facebook page. The Perfect Pair promotion has run several times before, offering the 85-cent sandwich first in A&W’s Green Bay units and then all its Wisconsin locations following a game in which Jennings caught at least one touchdown.
Meanwhile, the 2,200-unit Jack in the Box used a Super Bowl commercial — the only restaurant ad during the game — to promote the launch of its All-American Jack combo and a sweepstakes for a spring break vacation
While no other restaurant brands paid the $3 million to buy a 30-second ad during Sunday’s game, group-buying website Groupon made its first national-advertising push with commercials starring Timothy Hutton and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Big restaurant advertisers like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Taco Bell did not have in-game commercials but did advertise on Sunday before and after the game.
Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].
