Connecticut’s efforts to promote its pizza scene have sparked a fierce backlash from New Yorkers, thanks to a bold marketing campaign featuring provocative billboards in Times Square and other busy New York locations.
The advertisements boldly claim that Connecticut is home to the nation’s best pizza, challenging the well-entrenched New York pizza reputation with statements like, “The Nation’s Best Pizza—Not You New York.” The campaign encouraged passersby to call a dedicated hotline or visit the website betterpizzainCT.com to share their thoughts.
Connecticut state officials intended this “rage bait” campaign to draw attention, and it appears to have succeeded, generating significant media coverage and public discussions across social media.
Anthony Anthony, Connecticut’s chief marketing officer, reported that the state spent $220,000 on the campaign, which received $13 million worth of “earned media” through various channels.
Notable reactions included combative messages from callers expressing disbelief and frustration at the audacity of the claim. One caller exclaimed, “I don’t know what the [expletive] you’re cooking out of the sea, but that is not the capital of pizza. That is some washed-up [expletive] you’re cooking up.”
Another caller demanded, “So take this ad down now, unless you’re willing to stand on business and prove that you’re the best pizza. [Expletive] you, Connecticut.”
Despite the array of strong criticisms, Anthony noted that the campaign achieved its intended outcome of generating buzz. He highlighted the inclusive nature of food as a topic of conversation that transcends various societal divides, stating, “It doesn’t matter what you believe in. It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the right or left or your religion. It’s like food is this thing that brings people together.”
The marketing effort not only ignited debates over pizza but also drew attention from radio and television hosts and even New York City’s mayor. Connecticut also expanded its advertising reach to cities like Chicago and Detroit, broadening the campaign’s audience.
Interestingly, the fierce backlash seemed to have a silver lining for Connecticut’s tourism efforts. Reports indicate a notable increase in visitors, with day trips to New Haven from New York City rising 22% in June compared to the previous year and overnight stays up 12%.
While many responses were filled with profanity and disbelief, some positive feedback was recorded as well. One particularly disdainful caller remarked, “Y’all got the sleaziest [expletive] pizza ever,” while another highlighted the state’s lack of professional basketball, mocking, “Get over yourself, because even if you are the pizza capital of the world, you’re just Connecticut.”
Despite the disparagement, Anthony stated that the aim is not only to attract visitors but to cultivate an enduring identity for Connecticut.
He concluded, “If [pizza] is something that sets us aside and sets us above and beyond others, and gives us that firm sense of identity and place in the world, that’s work well done.”
Thus, Connecticut’s marketing strategy appears to have succeeded in creating both contention and curiosity about the state’s pizza offerings.
image source from：ctpublic
