Papa John's UK goes deeper into game marketing

Papa John's UK goes deeper into game marketing
Tags: Papa John's
March 18, 2010

The iPhone game Papa's Pizzeria now has something no pizza lover can refuse: the chance to earn real slices.

X2 Games, the publishing subsidiary of award-winning U.K. developer Exient Ltd., has announced that the pizza redemption mechanic for its iPhone title Papa's Pizzeria has passed the final testing phases and is now incorporated within the game. The company is working with Papa John's GB Ltd., a U.K. subsidiary of the Louisville, Ky.-based pizza company.

The new mechanic gives players the opportunity to redeem in-game codes for real world prizes when they place an order with Papa John's Pizza, allowing consumers to not only create Papa John's pizzas, but also enjoy them.

"It was very important to us that Papa's Pizzeria delivered on the consumer experience people have come to expect when dealing with Papa John's, and by having these real world redemption offers in the game, we think we've achieved that," said David Hawkins, X2 Games CEO.

"The idea of in-game currency isn't new, but the chance to actually redeem against something tangible is certainly something different for the iPhone market -- and offers a unique way for FMCG brands to interact with their consumer base."

"A great customer experience is at the heart of what we do at Papa John's Pizza. Now Papa's Pizzeria gives us the opportunity to take the brand to a new audience of tech-savvy iPhone consumers in a fun and rewarding way," said Andrew Gallagher, senior marketing manager for Papa John's GB Ltd. "By offering the redemption mechanic we are showing our commitment to this initiative with a view to looking at other innovative consumer facing promotions in the coming year."

The redemption mechanic works depending on the level you achieve within the game. From the offset, the cost of the game is met by a discount off the first pizza order, with further free offers tied into the various levels. For example, reaching level 10 makes the player eligible for a free medium pizza with another purchase; reaching level 20 is good for a free medium pizza.