The appeal of Little Caesars pizza is that it’s ready fast. The Michigan-based pizza chain kept that idea of instant gratification alive by releasing a huge collection of branded merchandise ranging from apparel to holiday accessories and skateboards. It’s called the “Hot N’ Ready Shop.”
Much like the pizza gets bought up quickly, just about every item that was released this morning is already sold out. The only things still available are slip-on sneakers and wrapping paper.
For the most part, the collection is a lot like what other fast food and pizza restaurants have done: bags with sublimated pizza designs, all-over print apparel, tote bags, comfort products like pillows, etc.
“Little Caesars is a cult brand that consumers want to be part of, we’re thrilled that people can show their brand love in the most Little Caesars way possible,” said Jeff Klein, chief marketing officer at Little Caesars, in a statement. “Our inspiration was, ‘pizza so good you want to wear it’—we’re embracing the fact that Little Caesars has no place in high fashion, and that’s exactly what people love about the brand.”
That’s a nice sentiment, but Little Caesars is hardly the first of its kind to do something like this. What does stand out a little bit is the way that it uses design motifs like the mascot’s hands giving a thumbs-up or peace sign with little or no other logo placement, or earrings modeled after the character’s laurels.
What also stands out is just how wide-ranging the collection is. There are things related to video gaming, like computer chairs and controller skins. There are three different skateboard decks. There are earrings. There are holiday ornaments and wrapping paper.
Chain restaurants now need to be much more than just food sources. They need to create all-encompassing brand experiences through things like this. Little Caesars was not the first, it will not be the last. And every time another company does something like this, it pushes the needle even further and progresses the promotional marketing game to new levels.
