Little Caesars is returning to the Super Bowl this year with a :30 second spot that promotes the QSR company’s new Crazy Puffs and specifically, the Bacon & Cheese flavored Crazy Puffs.
The spot stars Eugene Levy, whose eyebrows are more than raised when he tastes the new snack. Brand Innovators caught up with Jaime Pescia, VP, global creative & brand engagement at Little Caesars ahead of the game to talk about the ad.
Why the Super Bowl for this campaign, and why did you decide to be there this year?
The Super Bowl is really the biggest stage for brands to communicate to their fans and to gain new ones. It’s the one time a year that people are actually paying attention and excited to see the commercials.
So we’re returning to the Super Bowl to really showcase the deliciousness of our crazy puffs. It’s a great way for us to continue building our crazy puff dynasty and tease the new line extension of the bacon and cheese crazy puffs.
Can you talk about where you came up with the creative, this playful idea, and the stars involved?
The strategy behind the campaign was to make sure people understood how delicious these were. We wanted our fans to really think after they saw the ad, “Whoa, we’ve got to try crazy puffs,” because we’re really trying to build awareness for them and how delicious they are.
The ad was built on a consumer truth about the product. When people try crazy puffs for the first time, they say, “Whoa, these are delicious,” and that actually makes them raise their eyebrows in excitement. So we wanted to capitalize on that experiential moment that consumers have with our product.
And what better way to do that than with the most eyebrow-raising guy in the biz, right? Eugene Levy. When you taste crazy puffs, you have that moment where your eyebrows raise, so we wanted to build an epic “whoa” moment with our commercial.
Tell me about how this campaign will continue beyond game day.
We’ve had a three-phase approach: buzz, breakthrough, and bacon – what we’re calling it. The goal was to create buzz at the beginning to build excitement, land the game with a memorable spot, and break through the clutter.
Afterward, we’ve coined it the “bacon phase” because we want to keep promoting the bacon and cheese crazy puff. Starting Monday after the Super Bowl, you’ll see different versions of the spot that emphasize taste appeal and deliciousness. And, of course, the value price of $3.99.
We’ll also continue to have fun moments with Eugene on our social media platforms, playing off his love of bacon and cheese crazy puffs.
How long will the campaign run?
The campaign itself runs for a couple of months. We’ll have the Eugene extension for the next few weeks, but then we’ll transition to a different spot without celebrity talent to really cement the deliciousness of bacon and cheese crazy puffs.
Why did you choose the Super Bowl to promote this new product innovation?
Given that it’s the biggest stage, we wanted to get mass awareness for this product quickly. The Super Bowl gives us the perfect platform to do that.
We really believe this product is a “lightning in a bottle” experience for Little Caesars and for our consumers, and we thought the Super Bowl was the best way to create excitement and awareness around it.
Any predictions for what we’ll be seeing with ads on Sunday?
I think you’re going to see some really great ads. We’re seeing a shift from the past few years where brands are more invested in making the best creative possible. I think there’s going to be a lot of great ads and a lot of competition among brands.
What do you think goes into making a great Super Bowl ad?
I think it definitely needs to grab instant attention. It’s such a cluttered time, so you need that attention-grabbing moment. It has to be memorable and create an emotional connection with fans—whether it’s a laugh or even a tear.
With Little Caesars, we aim to bring the joy of pizza into our ads, and we’re going to deliver on a crazy fun moment that makes you laugh.
