Plano-based food chain Pizza Hut recently unveiled “Pie Tops,” the shoe that orders a large, two-topping pizza with the push of a button, just in time for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The high-top sneakers connect to users phones via Bluetooth, then with the press of the button on the tongue, a pizza will arrive.
This is a step up from the already existing mobile app, website, Facebook and Twitter message-to-order, and Amazon devices.
“It’s always important that we make it easy for fans to order the Pizza Hut pizza they love without missing a moment of the March Madness action,” David Daniels, vice president of media and advertising for Pizza Hut, said in a release. “We know pizza is a fan favorite during the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, and our special-edition Pie Tops are a culturally-timed creative expression of our commitment to providing the easiest pizza ordering and delivery experience possible.”
Founder of Fort Worth-based investment banking consultancy specializing in restaurants, Weichmann & Associates, Craig Weichmann, said he thinks the shoes will generate more orders for Pizza Hut, especially during the college basketball playoffs.
“This promotion of sending 64 pairs of handmade shoes to each team is a huge gimmick that will hopefully gain lots of attention,” Weichmann told the Dallas Business Journal. “Just one or two basketball players have to push the button to make this pay off in spades.”
If you aren’t one of the lucky ones to grab a pair, Pizza Hut will be offering their $12.99 large, two-topping pizzas for $7.99 throughout March and April.
The NCAA and Pizza Hut announced their partnership earlier this year, with more Pizza Hut commercials between games and other perks for game attendees.
“As we looked at the landscapes of different sports properties, the NCAA jumped out as the property that would fit us best, because it’s year-round,” Doug Terfehr, Pizza Hut’s senior director of sponsorships and public relations, told the Dallas Business Journal in January. “We’re the official pizza not just of football, but of basketball, hockey, and sports year-round.”
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