PizzaExpress Drops its Doughballs for ‘Explosive’ OOH Builds

PizzaExpress, after signing with advertising, media and music specialist Truant London as its agency of record, is investing in out of home (OOH) special builds to amplify its new attitude-packed ‘return to normal’ campaign.

The OOH campaign’s focal point is two 96-sheet special builds in Manchester and London’s Chelsea that appear to collapse under the fully loaded toppings that adorn PizzaExpress’s signature dough balls. One rogue dough ball can be seen flying out of the frame to create a dramatic and eye-catching perspective. 

The sheer weight of premium toppings sends the ads’ copy – ‘OH BALLS. New Menu. Fully Loaded’ – tumbling down to break the famous PizzaExpress logo; something few brands are brave enough to do.

These hero executions are further supported by 350 national sites. In keeping with the brand’s explosive new art direction, 80 of these sites comprise six-sheet special builds featuring dough balls that burst beyond the perimeter.

Truant worked with renowned food photographer Howard Shooter to develop an ownable photographic style for the brand, capturing beautifully prepared PizzaExpress ingredients as they drop and make impact, energetically flying in all directions.

Truant was appointed as lead agency after impressing PizzaExpress’ marketing team, led by new chief customer officer Shadi Halliwell (formerly O2’s head of brand and Harvey Nichols’ group marketing and creative director), with a strategy that gives the brand bags of attitude to broaden and re-energise the restaurant giant’s appeal. 

David Gamble, Truant’s ECD and co-founder, added: “We wanted to do something highly disruptive to stop punters in their tracks, encourage them to take a picture, share, smile and ultimately be compelled to try PizzaExpress’s reimagined classic. Special builds of this immense size require significant investment in terms of production, media and creative costs. So this OOH campaign is a bold statement of intent from a 56-year-old brand that’s hungry to innovate again. What a great way to send a message to the nation that PizzaExpress is back with a bang.”