Cicis Pizza is getting serious about fun.
The iconic brand has hit the road to fresh growth with a whimsical new brand campaign highlighting all that Cicis Pizza brings to the table for its beloved guests—and franchisees.
Meet C.C. Pazzini, the fictional founder of Cicis Pizza who is at the center of the brand’s new omnichannel campaign packed with bold humor and visual effects. The four-inch-tall “Willy Wonka of pizza” kicks off the brand’s first video spot piloting a magical flying machine while touting Cicis’ all-you-can-eat buffet, specialty pizzas, and game room with humor and tongue-in-cheek rhymes.
Cicis Pizza teamed up with Dallas-based advertising agency 3Headed Monster and its founder Shon Rathbone to reimagine the leading restaurant brand’s marketing approach, complete with the new “Endless Pizzabilities” tagline.
The campaign, which “has been a blast to create,” is already resonating with guests in a big way, says Stephanie Hoppe, Cicis’ chief marketing officer.
“We’re about building memories between friends and families, great food, gaming, and so much more, and of course doing so in an affordable way,” Hoppe says. “So, we were looking for an idea that could fully articulate the endless buffet of fun, variety, and creativity of the Cicis experience.”
Cicis Pizza’s creative agency didn’t have to look far to find inspiration to shape the branding campaign, starting with the brand’s status as the inventor of the highly profitable, high-quality Unlimited Pizza Buffet concept.
“C.C. Pazzini is an inventor and an idea person, which is a nod to Cicis’ trailblazing heritage,” says Rathbone, creative chairman at 3Headed Monster. “His endless creative energy puts new emotion behind the endless buffet concept. And he’s the perfect ambassador for a restaurant that is a total experience.”
Along with the broad core brand messaging, other creative and media executions will focus on lower-funnel tactics to spotlight specific or seasonal menu items and experiences and also attract key target audiences. Cicis tapped media agency Kelly Scott Madison to play the point on the strategic thinking for Cicis’ evolving media strategy, investment, and analytics.
It all adds up to more marketing firepower for franchisees to reap the rewards of Cicis Pizza’s readiness to grab a bigger slice of the lucrative industry pie as the return to on-site dining continues to surge.
“We have a completely new brand campaign that is unique and highly ownable,” Hoppe says. “We’re developing templates and more for the franchisees, so it’s effortless for them to do local store marketing, reach out to their community, and engage their guests.”
Founded in 1985, Texas-based Cicis Pizza operates more than 300 restaurants across 30 states, with more growth on the way. Backed by strong franchise industry leadership and the financial muscle of D&G Investors, Cicis Pizza’s marketing campaign launch coincides with the push to overhaul store interiors and aesthetics while also expanding into new markets. Work to realize those efforts will accelerate considerably in the months to come.
“Along with creating special experiences for our guests, when we talk about 2023 and beyond, what is equally important are the ways we continue to engage our team members and franchise partners,” Hoppe says. “We are focused on team member betterment.”
Ready to become part of an iconic, modernized restaurant concept and one of the hottest brands in franchising. Explore the Endless Pizzabilities with Cicis today! Visit franchise.cicis.com to get started.
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