LONDON -- Perhaps Domino's Pizza UK & IRL might want to hire Homer Simpson as its next pizza shill.
The laggardly lamebrain appears to be doing his share to drive sales at stores run by the UK master franchisee of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino's.
According to a BBC News Online report, lots of UK singles are ordering pizzas through interactive TV during the 30-minute hit show.
The simplicity of the interactive TV ordering system would do Homer proud. During commercial breaks, viewers need only press a red button on their remote controls to order from Domino's.
Pat Dunese, a two-store Domino's franchisee in Central Scotland, said the order spike seen during broadcasts of the cartoon show has been dubbed "The Simpsons rush."
"After our name flashes up on screen during 'The Simpsons' sometime after 6 o'clock at night, we see a large increase in orders," Dunese said.
As the number of people with access to interactive technologies rises, Domino's expects more and more pizzas to be ordered from the couch or behind a desk rather than over the telephone.
"Although only 2 to 3 percent of Domino's pizzas are ordered through new technologies in the UK, that percentage is likely to grow," said Paul Hickman, an analyst at KBC Peel Hunt.
Though pizza competitors without interactive ordering shouldn't shout "Doh!" just yet, Hickman said, it's likely they'll scream "Ay caramba" in the future.
"The Domino's brand name is rapidly becoming synonymous with pizza delivery," he said. "The independents are strong competitors, but none of them have got the brand power that Domino's has."
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