The Pizza Head Show

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The Pizza Head Show (also known as The Pizza Hut Head Show or simply Pizza Head) is a live-action advertising campaign used by Pizza Hut from 1993 to 1997 to advertise their promotions and new menu items. The commercials starred a slice of pizza named Pizza Head, who had a face made out of different toppings, and his pizza cutter nemesis named Steve who would try to cause him as much harm as possible. These advertising campaigns were produced by San Francisco's Goodby Silverstein & Partners and were directed by Walter Williams in a style similar to his earlier work, The Mr. Bill Show, which was a series of Saturday Night Live skits.

Background[edit]

History[edit]

In the early 1990s, Pizza Hut sought to attract children and pre-teenagers to build its dine-in business.[1] Through comedy writer Walter Williams and San Francisco advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Pizza Hut created The Pizza Head Show, a series of television commercials[1] to convey the message that Pizza Hut meant "weird fun".[2] The commercials featured spokes-character Pizza Head and his pizza-cutter nemesis Steve.[1] Comedy writer Williams was the creator of the Mr. Bill Show.[1]

Characters[edit]

  • Pizza Head is a high-pitched, falsetto-voiced slice of pizza whose facial features include olives, pepperoni and other toppings.[2][3]
  • Steve is a pizza cutter and Pizza Head's archnemesis who would take on different disguises in each commercial.[3]

Plot[edit]

The spots were inspired by the Mr. Bill segments.[3] Each commercial would open with a model Pizza Hut restaurant having the yellow text "The Pizza Head Show" appear.[3] Pizza Head then would appear, talk to the audience, and get into a "jam".[3] The host of the commercials was a voice represented by a hand (similar to Mr. Hands from the Mr. Bill shorts). The hand would then introduce Steve, who would take on a different persona in every commercial, such as "Chef Steve", "Coach Steve" and "Party Guy Steve"; similarly to Mr. Bill, when he saw his nemesis, Sluggo. Pizza Head would then see through Steve's disguise and respond with "Hey, he's not a/an (occupation)" The hand would reassure Pizza Head ("Sure he is!"), but Steve then would harm Pizza Head, such as getting hit by an incoming soccer ball, flung face-first into wet cement, or struck with a baseball bat.[3] Some of the commercials ended with the destruction of the model of the Pizza Hut restaurant from the beginning of the commercial, typically by whatever harmed Pizza Head in the commercial, or something relating to the theme, such as getting crushed by a jack-o-lantern, stepped on by a large-footed basketball player, or getting crushed by a hospital gurney. The narrator would then say, "See ya next time!" then followed by a promotion sometimes announced. The commercials ran from 1993 to 1997.

There were also Pizza Head and Steve mazes that came out in 1997 for Pizza Hut.

List of episode names (in order of airing)/Promotion[edit]

  • Pizza Head Gets Crusty/No promotion
  • Pizza Head Shoots Hoops/Streetball for $4.99
  • Pizza Head to the Rescue/Marvel Comics pack for only $2.99 with a cup, comic, and card
  • Pizza Head Flies High/K'Nex with purchase of $2.99 Munch Down Meal
  • Pizza Head Gets a Kick/No promotion
  • Pizza Head's Trick or Treat/New Stuffed crust pizza
  • Pizza Head Parties Hard/Pizza Hut Delivery
  • Pizza Head's Big Night/Tuesdays are Kids Night at Pizza Hut
  • Pizza Head Fouls Out/Autographed baseball bat and ball for $5.99
  • Pizza Head's Alien Adventure/New Stuffed Crust Pizza
  • Pizza Head's Magic Show/New Triple Decker Pizza
  • Pizza Head's Slam Dunk/Rawlings Basketball for $4.99
  • Pizza Head's Check Up/Pizza Hut pizza now with more pepperoni
  • Pizza Head's Star Wars/Get one of 3 Star Wars posters with a Pizza Hut Kids Pack (A shortened version of this ad was also produced)
  • Pizza Head Gets Goosebumps/Get Goosebumps Glow and Tell Story Card Sets
  • Pizza Head on a Quest/Get a Jonny Quest pack when you get a Pizza Hut Kids Pack (two different commercials exist for this promotion with different scenarios for Pizza Head)

Steve's disguises[edit]

Episode One: Pizza Head Gets Crusty - Chef Steve
Episode Two: Pizza Head Shoots Hoops - Coach Steve
Episode Three: Pizza Head to the Rescue - Super Steve
Episode Four: Pizza Head Flies High - Engineer Steve & Pilot Steve
Episode Five: Pizza Head Gets a Kick - Coach Steve (this was his only disguise to appear in more than one commercial)
Episode Six: Pizza Head's Trick or Treat - Count Steve and Mummy Steve
Episode Seven: Pizza Head Parties Hard - Party Guy Steve, Officer Steve, and Prisoner Steves
Episode Eight: Pizza Head's Big Night - Steve-ette
Episode Nine: Pizza Head Fouls Out - Umpire Steve
Episode Ten: Pizza Head's Alien Adventure - Steve-ians (Steve-ians speak to Pizza Head themselves; only episode without the Narrator aside from the opening line)
Episode Eleven: Pizza Head's Magic Show - The Amazing Steve-ini
Episode Twelve: Pizza Head's Slam Dunk - Referee Steve
Episode Thirteen: Pizza Head's Check-up - Dr. Steve and Surgeon Steve's
Episode Fourteen: Pizza Head's Star Wars - Princess Steve-a and Darth Steve
Episode Fifteen: Pizza Head Gets Goosebumps - Scarecrow Steve
Episode Sixteen: Pizza Head on a Quest - Jonny Steve, Hadji Steve, Jessie Steve, and QuestWorld Jonny Steve

In some commercials, numerous Steves would be utilized for crowd shots.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Benezra, Karen. (July 4, 1994) Brandweek Pizza Hut K'NEX the Dots. Page 4.
  2. ^ a b Algeo, David. (July 11, 1994) The Wichita Eagle Pizza Hut ads give the kids their own, weird, slice of life. Section: Business Plus; page 9D.
  3. ^ a b c d e f The Miami Herald (July 11, 1994) Oh no! It's Pizza Head! Section: Business; Page 17

External links[edit]

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