Pizza Hut rethinks US presidential debate stunt after criticism over product placement

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Pizza Hut is rethinking its contest daring people to ask “Sausage or pepperoni?” at Tuesday’s U.S. presidential debate.

After the stunt led to criticism last week, the restaurant chain says it’s moving the promotion online, where a contestant will be randomly selected to win free pizza for life.

Pizza Hut had offered the prize — a pie a week for 30 years, or a check for $15,600 — to anyone who posed the question to either President Barack Obama or Republican candidate Mitt Romney during the live debate.

But blogs and media outlets immediately criticized the chain for trying to capitalize on the election buzz.

On Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” host Stephen Colbert asked, “What could be more American than using our electoral process for product placement?”

The blog Gawker wrote about the stunt under the headline, “Want Free Pizza Hut Pizza for Life? Just Make a Mockery of the American Democratic System on Live TV.”

Pizza Hut spokesman Doug Terfehr said the majority of the feedback the company has seen has been positive. He said that moving the contest online was a “natural progression of the campaign” after people got excited about the idea and “wished they could get in on it.”

Pizza Hut, a unit of Yum Brands Inc., says it will still honour the prize if someone poses the question live at the debate. But it’s encouraging everyone to participate in the new online version, where contestants must enter their email addresses and zip codes to be eligible. The company will award two prizes if someone does ask the question.

The change comes after Pizza Hut’s stunt became the butt of jokes last week.

In a segment on Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” host Stephen Colbert asked, “What could be more American than using our electoral process for product placement?”

Colbert said the prize for a free Pizza Hut pie every week meant that “if you eat one of their pizzas every week, you will die in 30 years.”

The blog Gawker wrote about the stunt under the headline, “Want Free Pizza Hut Pizza for Life? Just Make a Mockery of the American Democratic System on Live TV.” The site wrote that all the contestant had to do was “embarrass themselves on live television before the President of the United States and millions of their fellow Americans.”

Pizza Hut’s stunt comes as TV audiences have become increasingly resistant to traditional commercials. As marketers look for new ways to engage viewers, the presidential election has presented a rare opportunity.

Earlier this month, an estimated 67.2 million people watched the first debate between Obama and Romney. That made it the largest TV audience for a presidential debate since 1992, according to Nielsen’s ratings service.

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Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi