So a quick Google search tells me that Pizza Hut's ubiquitous spokeschoad forever draped in sweats that make him look like an exploded pizza delivery box is Craig Robinson. According to Pizza Hut, Robinson uses his "joyful energy" to pitch diabetes cheap pizza to the masses in an apparently endless series of commercials that run roughly 14,000 times during whatever sporting event the masses happen to be watching this weekend.
Pizza Hut is seriously playing with fire here. I don't know if Craig Robinson actually eats Pizza Hut pizza (I'm quite sure he isn't obsessed with it, like he is in these ads- seriously, at least Lily from AT&T is actually shown as an EMPLOYEE of AT&T when she gushes about the product she's pitching.) But his character in these ads does nothing but talk up the virtues of empty carbs, grease, fat and sugar that comes right to his door and is super-easy on his wallet, costing only about a dollar per slice (notice that the price point- and never the quality of the product being pitched- is always the focus of these ads. It's as if Robinson is willing to do only so much to add cash to that wallet of his.) We are SUPPOSED to believe that Pizza Hut basically provides 100 percent of his calorie intake. He's just always ordering, talking up, and eating Pizza Hut pizza.
So, Pizza Hut: what is your plan if Mr. Robinson keels over from a heart attack, or reveals that he has developed full-blown Type 2 Diabetes, in the near future (like, before this particular ad campaign runs its course?) What's your strategy for disassociating yourself from his fate? I mean, you've hired a morbidly obese guy (someone with no taste might find funny, but no one in their right mind wants to look like) to be the face of your franchise. What happens when all that adipose tissue inevitably creates serious health issues for that face? You have an exit strategy? Because every time I see this guy, I'm grateful that I don't own stock in your company. I know that sounds mean, but it's hard for me to feel particularly sorry for 1. A guy who HAS to know he's unhealthy making money promoting crap non-food as a cheap alternative to actual nutrition and 2. A company that is raking in billions in profits peddling Obesity in a Box and would probably offer a free side of cigarettes with every $10 order if it were legal.
Their exit strategy is to state that he actually eats Papa John's version of cardboard slathered with grease and ketchup.
ReplyDelete