'This is not pizza!' What happened when Pizza Hut asked old-fashioned Italians to judge its new menu – and they were NOT impressed

MARGOT PEPPERS
25 November 2014
MAILONLINE
Pizza Hut has found a lighthearted way to introduce its newest products in an ad poking fun at itself.
In the Flavor of Now campaign, the chain takes its latest offerings – including salted pretzel crusts and pies drizzled with honey sriracha sauce – to Sorrento, Italy, where old-fashioned Italians give their honest and rather harsh opinions.
In the hilarious video, one elderly man is seen frowning at the food as he adamantly declares: ‘This is not pizza!’
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Critics: Pizza Hut has found a lighthearted way to introduce its newest products in an ad poking fun at itself
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Critics: Pizza Hut has found a lighthearted way to introduce its newest products in an ad poking fun at itself

The ultimate judges: In the Flavor of Now campaign, the chain takes its latest offerings to Sorrento, Italy, where old-fashioned Italians give their honest and rather harsh opinions
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The ultimate judges: In the Flavor of Now campaign, the chain takes its latest offerings to Sorrento, Italy, where old-fashioned Italians give their honest and rather harsh opinions
The campaign, thought up by creative agency Deutsch LA, is intended to highlight the ways Pizza Hut is updating its product to match the modern world.
The ad begins with a narrator who says: ‘For centuries Italians have made [pizza] the same way. Tradition is king, change is bad.
‘So when Pizza Hut decided to take pizza where it had never been before, with our new Flavor of Now menu, we wanted the opinions of the original pizza-makers. Would Italians be OK with us totally changing pizza?’
Interviewing one grumpy old man, the Pizza Hut employee says: ‘Pizza Hut’s ten new crust flavors really improve pizza, right Alfonso?’ ‘No no, not possible,’ the man responds with a frown.
‘This is not pizza!’ Old Italians judge Pizza Hut’s new product

Modern update: The elderly group were asked to give their thoughts on Pizza Hut’s new flavors – including salted pretzel crust, honey sriracha sauce and buffalo drizzle – and they did not like how it broke with tradition
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Modern update: The elderly group were asked to give their thoughts on Pizza Hut’s new flavors – including salted pretzel crust, honey sriracha sauce and buffalo drizzle – and they did not like how it broke with tradition

Denial: In the hilarious video, one person seen frowning at the food, adamantly declaring: ‘This is not pizza!’
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Denial: In the hilarious video, one person seen frowning at the food, adamantly declaring: ‘This is not pizza!’
And one elderly woman remains silent, pulling a disgusted scowl as he asks her: ‘So Carmella, what do you think of the tons of new ingredients?’
An old Italian couple look at each other with dismay when they are asked: ‘What about the delicious new honey sriracha sauce?’
The group was also asked to share their thoughts on some other new-world topics like jeggings, EDM and Pizza Hut’s new mobile ordering site, all of which rendered them equally bemused.

New and improved: Also included in the pizza chain’s new menu are buffalo sauce, Peruvian cherry peppers (pictured) and Ginger Boom Boom – a mix of ginger, garlic, black pepper and paprika
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New and improved: Also included in the pizza chain’s new menu are buffalo sauce, Peruvian cherry peppers (pictured) and Ginger Boom Boom – a mix of ginger, garlic, black pepper and paprika

Old-fashioned: The campaign, thought up by creative agency Deutsch LA, is intended to highlight the ways Pizza Hut is updating its product to match the modern world
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Old-fashioned: The campaign, thought up by creative agency Deutsch LA, is intended to highlight the ways Pizza Hut is updating its product to match the modern world
Finally, the interviewer asks one of the men: ‘So Pizza Hut has taken pizza to where it’s never been before. What do you guys think?’
He takes a bite and says, ‘It’s good!’ causing his wife to slap him, so he corrects himself, saying: ‘But not pizza.’
Also included in the pizza chain’s new menu are buffalo sauce, Peruvian cherry peppers and Ginger Boom Boom – a mix of ginger, garlic, black pepper and paprika.