Pizza, Pepperoni, and… Potholes?
Summer can bring us some of the best weather days of the year. It can also, especially after a harsh winter, bring potholes. Some of these asphalt pits seem to stick around forever, never getting repaired. Whether it’s an oversight by the city, or just that the town doesn’t have enough funds for maintenance, it probably doesn’t matter to you when a pothole damages your car. You just want it fixed.
Oddly enough, an unexpected hero has come to the rescue—Domino’s.
A June 15 press release from the pizza chain announced their new “Paving for Pizza” campaign, working alongside municipalities to get potholes repaired. Ostensibly, this is to protect the store’s pizzas on their way to customers’ homes. “Have you ever hit a pothole and instantly cringed? We know that feeling is heightened when you’re bringing home a carryout order from your local Domino’s store. We don’t want to lose any great-tasting pizza to a pothole, ruining a wonderful meal,” said Russell Weiner, president of Domino’s USA. “Domino’s cares too much about its customers and pizza to let that happen.”
The company is making good on their promise and asking customers to nominate their own towns to win funds for pothole repairs at pavingforpizza.com.
Domino’s has already repaired and filled more than 200 potholes in four cities. So far, they’ve fixed five in Burbank, CA; eight in Bartonville, TX; 40 in Milford, DE; and 150 in Athens, GA. Let’s not be naive, however. This marketing plan isn’t completely selfless. After every repair, workers emblazon the new asphalt with the Domino’s logo and the statement, “OH YES WE DID.”
Interestingly, though, Domino’s isn’t the first fast food company to try this kind of viral marketing. In 2009, KFC launched a marketing campaign for “Fresh Tastes Best” by filling in potholes in several cities across the country. They branded the repaired potholes with the words, “Re-Freshed BY KFC.”
Potholes can be hazardous
Even though the KFC and Domino’s campaigns are publicity stunts on the surface, they actually highlight a growing problem with infrastructure funding in our country. Asking fast food companies to pay for America’s pothole problem isn’t a viable solution, of course, but the Domino’s project did have a positive effect for one community. “Facing an already harsher winter than usual for Delaware, this is an opportunity to get additional money to stretch our city’s limited resources,” said Eric Norenberg, City Manager of Milford, DE.
Road hazards like potholes don’t just create a dangerous ride for your pizza; they create a dangerous situation for anyone unfortunate to encounter them. Potholes, especially large ones, can cause car accidents, cause damage to vehicles, and are a hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.
Domino’s “Paving for Pizza” initiative is a creative branding opportunity, but it might also force other municipalities to look at their own infrastructure and brainstorm unique ways to fund necessary repairs.
The car accident lawyers at Crandall & Pera want you to be safe out on our local roads. If you’re injured in an accident in Ohio or Kentucky due to bad road conditions or negligence, we can help you seek compensation for your damages. Call us at 844-279-2889 today. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation.