Nothing Like a Nice, Hip Marketing Campaign

Last week Pizza Hut announced that they will be taking their branding up a notch by pushing "The Hut" as their hip, cool nickname in order to appeal to a younger generation.  This does not mean they are completely rebranding, though--they still plan to be officially called Pizza Hut.  This is more of a marketing push.  As a spokesperson explains, "We think that 'The Hut' is to Pizza Hut as Coke is to Coca-Cola. We have begun using the term in conjunction with Pizza Hut in our advertising, pizza boxes and some restaurants."

So basically, Pizza Hut wants to give itself a nickname.  If you have ever spent any time in a college dormitory, you are thinking the exact same thing I am thinking right now: EVERYONE KNOWS YOU CAN'T GIVE YOURSELF A NICKNAME.  If you try, it will just backfire, and instead of being known as "The Tank," you will be called something like "Colonoscopy Joe" as punishment.

Besides being completely inorganic and violating every rule in the Nicknames Acquisition Codebook, "The Hut" is also a stupid nickname.  Basically, the name "Pizza Hut" has two components: a word describing the product sold by the company, and a word describing a structure made of dirt and sticks.  Which seems more appropriate for spinning a nickname off of, you ask?  Answer:

Duh.

Well, Pizza Hut must at least have a good reason for wanting a nickname, right?  Back to our friendly spokesperson:

"And yes, we're also introducing another vocabulary word with Pizza Hut, which is 'The Hut.' That ties in nicely with [today's] texting generation. We wanted to make sure that Pizza Hut and 'The Hut' become common vernacular for our brand. Red is our mark and when you see that red roof, people will refer to it as 'The Hut' or 'Pizza Hut.' As we expand our online and mobile businesses, 'The Hut' is the perfect icon for our mobile generation."

Ah-ha!  We are appealing to THE YOUTH!  Of course!  With their text messages and their tight pants and emo haircuts!  Surely they will treat this marketing campaign with the same earnest, genuine acceptance they routinely demonstrate when confronted with corporate America's attempts to connect to them!  This can't not work!

Long live THE HUT!

Comments

[EmGusk]

All I could think of after I read the announcement was Pizza the Hut: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/seng0054/dha4365w/20041007PizzaTheHut.jpg

[Ben]

I won't embarrass myself by listing the many nicknames I tried to give myself and the many I received as a result.

Just one.

Bengay.

(ihatemyself)

[Lauren]

Hahaha--but did you ever try and get people to call you "The Hut?"

[Jerome]

Geez, who does Pizza Hut's PR--Cathy Addison Weemer?

[X-Country2]

A new restaurant around here called The Mattress Factory keeps trying to brand themselves as "The Matt". Dude, you just opened. You should have named the place "The Matt" originally if you're going to push it so hard.

Sooooo annoying.

[Lauren]

Jerome: Please. I give Cathy way too much work for her to be moonlighting at Pizza Hut. And I pay her way better than THE HUT would, too.

XC2: Haha, that is annoying/awesome