Pizza Hut Set To Recover Its Lost Edge

Brandweek,  April 24, 2000  by Theresa Howard

Tags: Edge, Pizza Hut

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Pizza Hut will resurrect "The Edge" pizza next week, backing its return with an estimated $15-20 million in national TV, print and radio ads.

The product, which debuted in 1997 but fell off menus within a year, returns as a limited-time offering in Hut's ongoing quest to reinvent the menu around its best pizzas under one roof" claim.

Edge has remained available in many stores but not systemwide, and has not received media support since the intro.

The crustless pizza hits stores April 30, flagged by an FSI the same day Three 30-second TV ads, via agency BBDO,N.Y., break May 4, with radio following May 8. A key product premise stems from Pizza Huts informal research showing that 20% of respondents do not eat the pizza crust.

Creative in the two spots reveals a mailman and schoolboy exulting over "toppings on top of toppings; toppings next to toppings with no outer crust!"

A third spot focuses on the pizza itself, playing up the abundance of toppings. Pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions, green peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes are served between two layers of cheese.

A top layer of cheese is part of some flavor enhancements that include a reformulated Italian herb seasoning and thinner, crispier crust.

Edge will sell for $9.99 for medium pies and $11.99 for large.

One franchisee said the product skews toward the chain's dine-in business and should "do all right as long as our name is getting out there."

The chain has claimed dine-in to be a priority although it has largely consigned support to delivery.

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