India — Pizza Hut India has introduced a new crust upgrade, the ‘Ultimate Cheese Crust’, which features a molten ‘Cheese Crown’ baked directly into the crust and double the usual amount of cheese.
To promote the launch, Pizza Hut rolled out a marketing campaign titled ‘Flip To The Cheese’, encouraging customers to begin eating their pizza from the crust for what the brand describes as the “cheesiest first bite”.
The campaign also included a series of promotional stunts centred on the idea of flipping, with influencers first posing the question, “What gets better when you flip it?” before revealing the new crust.
The initiative was conceptualised by Havas Creative India and executed through a 360-degree marketing approach using PR, influencer activity, out-of-home advertising, in-store communication, and experiential elements.
In what the company called one of its boldest moves, Pizza Hut also turned its entire Instagram profile upside down, reversing the display picture, bio, grid, and even the account name, to reflect the campaign theme. Offline, the brand extended the visual idea across billboards and selected stores, which were designed to appear flipped.
The campaign was further supported by a music track, short festival-themed films, and a range of online and offline activations. The upgrade is available across all pan pizzas on the brand’s menu.
Manish Guptaa, chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut India, said, “Flip To The Cheese is one of the quirkiest campaigns we’ve ever done, that is sure to pique curiosity and lead consumers to try the product with a fun new iconic ritual. It’s all about celebrating the complete joy and indulgence of a pizza, by enjoying the Ultimate Cheese Crust as much as the slice itself.”
Anupama Ramaswamy, managing director & chief creative officer at Havas Creative India, also said, “When Pizza Hut introduced the Ultimate Cheese crust, we saw an opportunity not just to create a campaign, but an unforgettable marketing hook. At Havas Creative India, Flip To The Cheese transformed the product innovation into an iconic eating ritual, rooted in a strong insight that everyone loves that first cheesy bite.”
The ‘Ultimate Cheese Crust’ is now available across more than 890 Pizza Hut outlets in India for dine-in, delivery, and takeaway.
