Risque Advertising...How far is too far

[Tom_Boyles_PMQ]

In light of an article about Hell Pizza from New Zealand’s most recent promotion, which involves sending condoms out as part of a promotion, we have decided to do a Pizza Radio show on Risque Advertising…how far is too far? I visited with those guys a couple of years ago while in NZ. They are pretty sharp and know how to create headlines. I have seen t-shirts advertising pizzerias with things like Big Rack Pizza out of Alaska with a…well…very well endowed woman on it…I remembered their name. I have seen shirts with “If yours was 16 inches, you would be cocky too” promoting a pizzeria’s large pizzas. I have an opinion on this sort of marketing, but I want to know your opinions.

Who has tried risque advertising? Did it work? Did it not? Pros…cons.

Here is a link to the original article on Hell Pizza http://www.pmq.com/mag/2005november-dec … llhell.php

Here is a link to the article about the promo from the internet: http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/csNews/csNew … d=1421&op=

Here is a link with comments from people in NZ about the promo: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,384 … urce=email

And here is the text from our newsletter:
In light of the recent buzz over an advertising campaign brought on by New Zealand’s Hell Pizza, we’d like to get some comments from our readers and owner/operators of pizzerias. For a copy of the report on Hell Pizza’s marketing practices, please see the article at PMQ’s news desk, or click here. PMQ did an article on Hell Pizza, click here to peruse their ideas behind using daring advertising practices in building brand awareness.

Do you think they have gone too far? Or, is the community overreacting to Hell Pizza’s campaign? How far is “going too far” with advertising?

Pizza Schmizza also demonstrated a good example of using risque advertising practices…but the thing is, THEY WORK! Click here for their story, where they employed homeless people to stand in front of their restaurant holding sandwich boards!

We want to hear from you! Please let us know what you think by either giving us a call at (662) 234-5481 extension 411 (please leave a message with your thoughts) or dropping us an email at: [email protected]. Have an interesting advertising idea that pushes the envelope? Let us know! You could be the next cover story for PMQ.

The Pizza Radio Interview will be available to everyone at PizzaRadio.com as soon as we hear from you on this issue!

What do you think? Call the PMQ hotline at (662) 234-5481 extension 411 and leave a message with your thoughts or email me at [email protected]

 

[system]

I have visted Hell Pizza in New Zealand- neat place- They just got bought by Pizza Hut (I believe) - NZ is much more easy going and much less church going than in the US. It’s obviously a balance between attracting customers and annoying customers. I usually go for attracting customers- annoying non- customers doesn’t bother me.

 

[ellehcimeo]

I’ve sent in this email to [email protected]:
Hell’s pizza’s tactics are border line misogynistic, and disgusting. Does it help them sell pizza, maybe.
Would less offensive ads sell them pizza, probably, but they don’t seem interested in that. Shock value loses it’s lustre quickly. That’s my warning to them. Their ads aren’t even particularly clever, pee pee and ca ca style humour, really low level, basal thinking. It’s a shame. If they got a marketing team on it that had scruples, they’d be better served.
Guess their market is the “asshole sector”, and lord knows the world is full of them!
Cheers,
PS: I love PMQ!

 

[j_r0kk]

They’ve got people talking about them. Is it bad marketing? People are talking so you tell me. -J_r0kk

 

[system]

short term it works well, in the long run…it’s a slippery slope, more you do it , more they expect it and “ordinary” advertising may not work following that, it’s merely my opinion on it

I like Paul’s ad in Florida

“Bigger, Better, Faster”

simple and it is effect there,

Otis

 

[snowman]

It’s all about your target audience. Risque works great on college kids. It also is pretty good as a “destination” once. I wouldn’t pull that stuff in the Bible belt.