Arena BLM
Domino's Pizza
Television evolution drives pizza sales

Takeaway chain Domino's Pizza has mushroomed over the past decade, expanding from 125 stores in 1998 to its current total of 507.

A major contributing factor to the chain's success is a smart move by Arena BLM - a gamble that has become one of advertising's greatest success stories.

The Simpsons is a stalwart of weeknights on Sky One, and Arena BLM knew that 72% of takeaways are ordered between 6pm and 8pm, exactly when the show airs.

The agency also knew that Domino's target audience, 18 to 34-year-olds, are more receptive to sponsorship than they are to ads. In addition, they knew that 67% of viewers who choose to watch The Simpsons like to eat takeaway food.

The sponsorship deal would secure airtime all year around for the price of just three weeks of ad spots, and advertising on multichannel TV rather than terrestrial would keep costs down still further.

This was an excellent opportunity for Domino's, but a gamble nevertheless - securing the sponsorship deal would leave barely any money for additional ad campaigns.

However, the gamble paid off. The success of the campaign lay in associating the brand with a show that has strong family values, and has proved enduringly popular and accessible. Sales boomed as a result of the sponsorship, increasing 10% each year from 1997 to 2007, and the chain's ad spend has soared to £8m.

Adapting to advances in digital TV was key to the growth in business. In 2000, Domino's was the first advertiser to run a transactional interactive TV campaign on Sky. And in 2001, it introduced a fully transactional ordering page on the Sky electronic programme guide. Each week, sales of pizza were equivalent to the output of 150 physical stores.

Domino's has since increased its investment in The Simpsons, most recently securing a deal with ITV to sponsor Britain's Got Talent. With initial sales figures for 2008 showing sales up by more than 13%, it seems the relationship between Domino's and The Simpsons is stronger than ever.

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