Hell Pizza launches new ‘So wrong, but so right’ To-meat-o Sauce campaign via Special Wellington

Special Wellington and Special PR have launched a new campaign to celebrate a new addition to Hell Pizza’s range.

Hell has taken the classic Kiwi steak and cheese pie and turned it into a pizza. The twist is, it’s vegetarian – made with Fable’s infamous plant-based steak, as well as the traditional gravy, cheddar, mozzarella and flaky puff pastry. So, how do you launch a steak and cheese pie that isn’t steak at all?

If there’s one thing every pie needs, it’s sauce.

So, Special Wellington – in conjunction with Special PR – are promoting the launch of the new meatless pie by creating the perfect condiment. To-meat-o Sauce, a tomato sauce made with blood.

Says Mark Forgan, ECD, Special Wellington: “Since Hell have taken all the animals out of the pie, we decided to put them all in the sauce instead.”

The new topping will be served in a blood bag and, according to its ingredients, it includes beef, deer blood and “some sheep maybe? Honestly, we lost track of what went in the blender.”

And, while vegetarians will no doubt opt to leave the new topping off, To-meat-o Sauce is bound to keep the “meaters” happy according to Hell Pizza marketing manager, Siang Tay: “This is a bloody good idea from Special to stop any of our carnivorous friends getting their nose out of joint at the thought of plant-based steak.”

The campaign is the rekindling of an old relationship between Hell Pizza founder Callum Davies and Forgan, who have known each other for over 25 years.

Says Davies: “Mark was one of Hell Pizza’s first delivery drivers, and came up with NZ’s most complained about campaign for us when he was still at design school. I’m stoked to have his creative — slightly twisted — brain just down the road here in Wellington.”

Says Forgan: “Hell Pizza is still the best job I ever had – it’s good to be back in the driver’s seat.”

The “So wrong, but so right” campaign launched last week across OOH, radio and social already stirring fierce debate between vegetarians and meateaters on social and news media.

Says Cumming: “Part of the purpose of the campaign was to get people talking about plant based proteins and sustainable food options. We have been a leader in this field and so wanted to push the discussion along. Over half the people who had ordered the new pizza had also added the blood sauce, which showed many meat-eaters were trying a vegetarian option of pizza, something that they maybe would not have it were not for the marketing campaign.”

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Client: Hell Pizza
Creative Agency: Special Wellington
PR Agency: Special PR