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Pizza Hut Re-Branding Itself As “The Hut”
Published on: June 19, 2009 – 3:29 pm by Jillian Madison 
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Like many retailers out there, Pizza Hut has been experiencing a significant decline in sales. Their response? Launch a brand new marketing strategy, and give your company a ridiculous, shortened nickname.
Pizza Hut CMO Brian Niccol told Brandweek, “The Hut ties in nicely with [today's] texting generation. Red is our mark and when you see that red roof, people will refer to it as ‘The Hut’ or ‘Pizza Hut.’ As we expand our online and mobile businesses, ‘The Hut’ is the perfect icon for our mobile generation.
Is the Pizza Hut CMO so out of touch, he thinks people will buy more pizza from a place that is text friendly?And even if that were true, how is THE HUT more text friendly than PIZZA HUT? It only saves two letters!
I’ve never been a fan of Pizza Hut, but I’m even less of a fan of this new concept. For starters, I can only think of negative things, like living in a HUT, or PIZZA THE HUT from Spaceballs. How unappetizing.
And is it me, or does that new red hat logo look just like something you’d see Carmen Sandiego wearing while jetsetting across Europe?
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Great. Now I’ve got the theme song stuck in an endless loop in my head. You and your genius.
Who the hell calls it “The Hut” to begin with?
Man. Why don’t they just make better food? That’ll get people going (maybe).
The Hut does sound pretty lame. And it’s definitely reminiscent of “Pizza the Hut” from Spaceballs.
It sounds like they’re trying to be too cool and trendy with their own name. Pretty soon, the Hut will sell $5 footlongs or some crap.
Yeah. I can’t see “the Hut” without thinking of Jabba. A greasy, slobbering, morbidly obese monster — not a great association.
Way to go Pizza Hut, trying to be hip. As if we’ll order more if it sounds cooler … how about making better pizza or, better yet, sticking with your Bistro pizzas, which were actually good! #fail
The new logo sure looks alot like the new Jack in the Box logo. Pizza Hut, um, excuse me, “The Hut” better be careful. Regardless, the pizza is nasty so a new sign doesn’t change that one iota. I’m with you John: Jabba all the way!
@John – Are you talking about Guy Fee-eddy?
What other company did something silly like this recently. The Sci Fi channel, wasn’t it? Totally don’t get it. I mean, ya don’t see McDonald’s changing their name to Micky D’s, right? But then, Kentucky Fried Chicken did change to KFC (legal issue with the state of Kentucky), and International House of Pancakes changed to IHOP.
hmmm :-?
Well, hell, why stop at Pizza Hut? Let’s see if we can continue this with:
-
Dominos >> Double 6 (the one everyone hopes for when playing dominoes)
Burger King >> The King (you know, the guy they have in almost every commercial)
Jack in the Box >> Box of Jack (another text friendly, if slyly judgmental, name)
Subway >> Footlongs (might as well, since they mention these damn things in practically every commercial anyway)
Little Caesar >> Generic Roman dude (changed due to legal issues with decendants of Caesar)
-
That’s all I can come up with for now. Anyone else got any? HeWhoseNameMustNotBeSpoken? C’mon, man, you must be able to come up with something better.
Olive Garden – The O.G.
Applebees – The App (for iPhone users who like crappy food)
TGIFridays – TGIFieri’s
Chi Chi’s – El Muerte
why not just re-brand it “The Slut” and have lithe, comely collegians deliver the product? The pizza then serves merely as a vehicle to facilitate the “negotiation” of a tip to the pizza escort? Sales through the roof, farmers raising more pepperonis on pepperoni farms across america, the next generation providing the “gift that keeps on giving” with every sale…what’s not to love?
Dunk do-for Dunkin Donuts
The Claw- Red Lobster
Ruby T- Ruby Tuesdays
T Bell- Taco Bell
* $ -for Starbucks
Don’t forget the yeast farmers, HeWhose!
@HeWhose… Brilliant! It seems like the next logical step after Hooters.
The Hut? They took a page out of WWE’s book! I can see it now, The Bash, brought to you by The Hut!
They are not renaming the restaurant. It will remain Pizza Hut, but they’re gonna use “The Hut” in marketing materials much like Coca-Cola uses the name Coke. Look at the picture you posted – the new logo still says Pizza Hut on the side of the building.
The Red Hat Society called. They want their logo back.
“Why not just re-brand it “The Slut” and have lithe, comely collegians deliver the product?”
*Snorts* I was thinking “The Ho Hut” myself.
one used to be able to get a cheap laugh out of calling it Pizza slut. I cant think of a good way to say we are going down to the slut.
Very Cool!
I’m still reeling from National Geographic calling themselves “Nat Geo” in commercials and now, Sci Fi going ahead with the meaningless “Sy Fy.” Where too many people calling it “Skiffy”?
The Hut? It’s bad, but not as bad as their Tuscani Pasta commercial.
Carmen’s a hottie.
[...] Pizza Hut is rebranding to The Hut huh? Seems to me that they are really trying to become trendy and have a name like [...]
Hey to all those people that want to talk smack about the hut. Pizza Hut is not a bad place. Its the damn people who get hired to work there. I have been working at Pizza Hut for over a year now, and i make some good damn pizza. I have never been told i make shity pizza hut. I do not appreciate having the hut be called the slut. that sounds like some high school jock talk. Come on now and grow up. If you dont like pizza hut, yu dont need to flaunt it. Be practical now. Its either you like it or not. And than move on with your life.
KFC decided that diet conscious diners didn’t like the word “fried” in Kentucky Fried Chicken, so they changed their name to KFC, and introduced grilled chicken.
People percieve pizza as a food that makes you fat, plus Crappola the Hut now sells wings, and sandwiches and salads are coming.
Hence the name change.
Wait for Burger King to become “The King.” :-D
Why do so many people drink rum and Diet Coke?
It makes them feel as if they are actually cutting calories. (they aren’t)