Why Little Caesars Dropped Its Iconic Catchphrase 'Pizza! Pizza!'

Some slogans are inseparably intertwined with the companies they belong to. Hearing the words "Pizza! Pizza!" immediately brings to mind things like the stretchy cheese of a Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready and the crumbly parmesan topping of Crazy Bread. The catchphrase became part of Little Caesars' ad campaigns at a time when the company was quickly flying up the ladder of success. The slogan and accompanying advertisements were extremely successful. So why did Little Caesars stop using "Pizza! Pizza!" after years of effective branding? While the precise reasoning isn't publicly known, the decision coincided with a time of declining sales and the company ending its relationship with its longtime advertising agency. 

"Pizza! Pizza!" became a blockbuster catchphrase akin to the popular "Got milk?" campaign slogan of the 1990s. The "Pizza! Pizza!" tagline first took hold in 1979 as part of a promotion offering two pizzas for the price of one. In the 1980s, after hiring ad agency Cliff Freeman & Partners, the company launched a campaign centered on the slogan. It quickly became iconic, working hand in hand with the chain's cartoon Caesar mascot to make Little Caesars a household brand among pizza companies. After a long run, the slogan vanished from Little Caesars' advertising and didn't resurface again for 14 years.

Little Caesars' sales began tapering off in the mid-'90s, amid marketplace changes and new competitors cropping up. The company also drastically reduced ad spending during this time. In 1998, Little Caesars discontinued its use of Cliff Freeman & Partners, and the brand began moving away from its previous use of ads that were on the silly side. The "Pizza! Pizza!" slogan disappeared altogether.

Fortunately for pizza fans everywhere, the "Pizza! Pizza!" slogan was gone but not forgotten. In 2012, after an absence of more than a decade, Little Caesars resurrected the phrase as part of efforts to amp up its advertising once again. With a newly increased ad budget, the brand aggressively reentered the marketing scene. The company had a new advertising agency, and, after years of only conducting marketing on local levels, it had launched its first national ads in approximately 15 years.

Once again, customers heard the famous words "Pizza! Pizza!" issuing from the cartoon lips of the company's mascot. It was part of a major comeback for Little Caesars, which had been floundering for several years. Newer offerings, like the chain's $5 Hot-N-Ready promotion, were also spelling a return to success for the company. It's not easy for a restaurant brand to make a successful turnaround. Cicis Pizza is another pizza chain that has been making a comeback after experiencing setbacks and financial trouble. Many other pizza chains have filed for bankruptcy in recent years.

With Little Caesars safely back on the rise as the world's third-largest pizza chain — and its familiar catchphrase back where it belongs — the brand's inexpensive grab-and-go pizza is in no danger of vanishing from the marketplace. Incidentally, the next time you stop in at one of the chain's more than 4,000 locations to pick up a Hot-N-Ready, be sure to also ask for a package of the company's free cookies, which is a sweet treat you may have been missing out on at Little Caesars.