Pizza Pizza is trying to think outside of the box – or, at the very least, thinking of new ways the box might be useful – when it comes to its Toronto Raptors sponsorship. The QSR turned some of its pizza boxes into a mini tabletop basketball game.
The box, created by the brand’s in-house creative director Raymond Luk, folds out into a miniature basketball net, with pop-out game pieces that can be catapulted into the hoop. The box – available for a limited time from Pizza Pizza locations in Ontario – also features Raptors Two-Five branding, created by the team in celebration of its 25th anniversary this season.
Pizza Pizza has been a sponsor of the Raptors since 1999. One of its most popular promotional efforts around that sponsorship has been “Score a Slice,” which gives customers a free slice every time the Raptors score more than 100 points in a winning game at home.
Promotional efforts have always been a major facet of Pizza Pizza’s marketing, but over the last year the QSR has been working on bringing more innovation and emotional connection to those efforts. Paul Goddard, Pizza Pizza’s CEO, says the new “GameBox” is a way to tie together the emotional connection its customers have to both the Raptors and gathering around a pizza, done through a fun, group activity. Earlier this year, it tapped into the passion of Winnipeg Jets fans by “whiting out” its local stores, mirroring a long-time tradition of fans dressing in white during the team’s home playoff games.