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.”
Pizza, Pepperoni, and… Potholes?