Pizza Pops Has Made a Film for Weirdos by Weirdos to Celebrate Weirdness

Pizza Pops has been embracing their unapologetically weird nature – not a pizza, not quite a calzone… definitely weird – for years. But in a new campaign by Cossette, the brand has recruited real life weirdos to launch a rallying cry to fellow weirdos across Canada. 

Pizza Pops is the category leader but with plenty of competition, it was important to move beyond its 'Weird is Good' positioning featuring actors in costumes and create a campaign that would connect with consumers and build a strong emotional affinity. “It’s definitely a good time to be weird in our culture right now and we decided to celebrate that,” says Jacob Greer, creative director at Cossette. “By choosing to work with people who are truly passionate about their ‘weird’ hobbies rather than looking at influencers or using actors, we are connecting in a personal way with our fans and inviting them to celebrate with us.” 

Cossette crisscrossed the country, visiting comic conventions and university campuses to find cosplayers, larpers, puppeteers, competitive eaters and more – not just to star in the campaign but to help create it, with a hand in everything from the wardrobe, animation, music and art direction. 

The result is 'What a Time to Be Weird' - an anthemic spot that speaks to all things weird and good, loaded with mixed media, animation, and of course, Pizza Pops. The campaign builds on past campaigns but targets a slightly older demographic, with the film taking place in the kind of cubicle-filled office many young Canadians are working at their first jobs out of school. 

“All of us are inherently weird to some degree and celebrating this and focusing on our customers’ personal expression of what that means is a great way to tell our brand story,” says Paul Cuaso, associate marketing director, General Mills. 

The digital campaign will run until November and also includes four shorts focusing on the creators and their habits. Canadians will be encouraged to join the movement with the #whatatimetobeweird hashtag.