Canada’s Boston Pizza Champions the Lazy with Innovative Packaging

First, it was harnessing fire. Then, it was the wheel. Next, it was law. Then, it was the printing press, followed by the automobile, general relativity and quantum mechanics, flight, and now … a pizza box? Throughout man’s evolution, we have prided ourselves on innovation. Moments where we triumphed over past adversity to make our life more complete. We’ve been in a rut lately, but if Boston Pizza is to be believed we may have just witnessed “The breakthrough we’ve been waiting for”—a pizza box that transforms into a tray engineered to be eaten in your bed. What?

According to Boston Pizza International senior director of marketing, Adrian Fuoco: “[There are] more TVs in bedrooms than ever, and more… to binge-watch [and] as Canada’s pizza leader, we’re always looking for new ways to make pizza-eating more fun and convenient…” Thus, the pizza box-tray. Teaming with Toronto creative agency John St., months of work went into the final creation, which was made public by the agency via an online video that was part of a broader campaign promoting Boston Pizza as the go-to for this past Father’s Day. The pizza looked yummy, but the ad…

Some Good

Here’s where this ad delivered like a hot pepperoni pizza…

1. Comedy – There was hilarity to this ad in its text and camera work. The use of phrases such as “The breakthrough we’ve been waiting for” and “Nothing will ever be the same,” added a movie trailer aspect to the ad that was poking fun at itself. This was accentuated by the camerawork, and it ended with a lazy dude chowing down pizza in a very gray and white room. You had to chuckle.

2. Camerawork – The camera movement was clever. Whether it was achieved in camera or in post (I can see how both could be accomplished) it worked hilariously. The camera moved over the edges and creases like it does in phone and car commercials, but you never go “Ooh” or “Ahh.” You go “Huh?” and that was all that was needed. Adding in the occasional lens flare even upped the anticipation for the big… letdown.

3. Wearing White – As a rule I do not wear white when eating anything with red sauce, let alone eating in an all white and gray room, so kudos to the risky behavior, Boston Pizza (and its actor)! More importantly, however, it helped make the red pizza box stick out better so we could wonder at its ingenious design.

Some Bad

Here’s where this video went down like day-old crust…

1. Message – With all the good, the ad left me empty inside. I didn’t see the “Whoa” in the invention. I just saw a mess waiting to happen. It’s mass-produced cardboard. I don’t care what they say. It will fall apart.

2. Lazy and Not Healthy (eating in bed) – First, it’s unhealthy. The human body is designed to digest in an upright position. Lying down and digesting can lead to serious indigestion. Second, its dangerous people! Come on! Third, its kinda’ lazy and we’re sluggish enough so lets not add to the problem and encourage that bane of our society.

The Takeaway

The ad was funny. It poked fun at itself and it’s billing as mankind’s next great leap forward. The comedy and sarcasm were apparent and I chuckled, but in the end Boston Pizza’s mission for pizza in bed was lost on me.