Pizza Hut’s new un-Italian pasta campaign | Approved by the toughest food critics: Italians?
Pizza Hut's new un-Italian pasta campaign in Dubai
Pizza Hut's new un-Italian pasta campaign in Dubai
A funny campaign by Pizza Hut in Dubai! They recently launched pasta – and not just any pasta. According to the company their pasta is creamy, cheesy, overloaded with sauce and proudly breaking every Italian culinary rule. The brand even calls it un-Italian pasta. Knowing this would never win over traditional Italians, Pizza Hut decided to do something bold: challenge Italian identity itself.
1 minute read
Food is deeply tied to identity
Instead of convincing purists like nonnas and traditional food guardians, Pizza Hut turned to a different group of Italians. People with Italian passports who were born and raised in countries such as Kazakhstan, Lebanon and Japan. Italians by nationality, but open to modern twists on classic dishes. What followed was a social experiment disguised as a taste test.
Two groups were brought together: traditional Italians who fiercely protect their cuisine, and non-traditional Italians who are willing to bend the rules. Both tasted Pizza Hut’s un-Italian pasta, with reactions ranging from delight to disbelief. The experiment sparked discussion, raised eyebrows and revealed how deeply food is tied to identity.
Irony and humour to highlight the un-Italian pasta campaign
Created by Publicis Middle East, the campaign highlights the irony of a brand that doesn’t even exist in Italy receiving approval from “legitimate” Italians. According to Ahmad Hasan, Marketing Manager at Pizza Hut Middle East, the brand chose to confront criticism head-on. Pizza Hut has always challenged conventions, proving that great taste doesn’t have to follow traditional rules.
The campaign expanded beyond the experiment into a short documentary exploring the emotional tension between the two groups. On social media, Pizza Hut embraced humour by sharing out-of-context quotes and reactions from the shoot, creating light-hearted and self-aware content. (text continues after the video)
Creative Director Augusto Correia sums it up: when a brand dares to laugh at itself, it becomes more human and relatable. Ultimately, the campaign isn’t really about pasta. It’s about identity, tradition and how people define themselves in a changing world. And sometimes, even challenging Italians on their food can win them over – at least a little.
Pizza Hut’s new un-Italian pasta campaign in Dubai
Website: Pizza Hut Middle East
