In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pizza Hut is transforming TikTok trends into real-world rewards through a new promotion called “Pay With Your Trend.” Consumers are encouraged to post trendy TikTok videos featuring Pizza Hut’s customizable My Box meal to earn free food.
The promotion, announced via Marketing Dive, asks customers to order a My Box meal, create a video based on a popular TikTok trend, and feature the My Box in the content. Once the video is posted, tagging the brand and using the hashtag #YourTermsYourConditions, Pizza Hut will send a promo code via TikTok. This code can be redeemed for another My Box meal, allowing participants to enjoy their next order free of charge.
This promotion highlights Pizza Hut’s focus on its My Box product, introduced to the Middle East in 2019 as a customizable meal option. By allowing consumers to select their favorite items, the My Box caters to individual preferences, an advantage over more rigid meal options offered by competitors like Burger King and KFC. The “Pay With Your Trend” campaign further emphasizes customization and personalization, while also capitalizing on TikTok’s influence.
Engaging Social Media Trends for Marketing Success
With this initiative, Pizza Hut is tapping into one of the hottest areas of mobile marketing: content creators and influencers. According to Ahmed Sabri, marketing lead for Pizza Hut Middle East & Pakistan, the campaign aims to make the benefits of social media marketing accessible to everyone, not just influencers with large followings. “Social media is becoming a currency. With this promotion, we’re opening it up for everyone and anyone,” Sabri said.
The campaign encourages users to follow popular TikTok trends, blending social media engagement with food, while also promoting the My Box product. By incentivizing the creation of content around these trends, Pizza Hut is creating a loop of user-generated content that serves both the brand’s marketing goals and rewards customers with free food.
My Box: Customization And Market Growth
Pizza Hut’s My Box has proven to be a strategic offering in the highly competitive quick-service restaurant (QSR) market.
Launched to compete with similar value meals from other fast-food chains, it allows customers to personalize their orders, including a small pizza and two sides of their choice. The flexibility appeals to customers who prefer individual meals, making the My Box a hit among pizza lovers with specific preferences.
The “Your Terms, Your Conditions” campaign, introduced in 2022, emphasized this customization, and the latest “Pay With Your Trend” promotion continues that theme. While currently focused in the UAE, the promotion is expected to expand to other regions in the Middle East and North Africa in the coming months.
Innovative Marketing Plays by Pizza Hut
This TikTok-based campaign adds to Pizza Hut’s growing list of creative marketing strategies. The brand has a history of novelty campaigns that capture public attention. Earlier this year, Pizza Hut promoted its Cheeseburger Melt by sending delivery drivers to burger chain drive-thrus in Chicago and Miami, where they encouraged customers to try a “better burger” through a QR code on their cars.
Similarly, ahead of Valentine’s Day, Pizza Hut launched the “Goodbye Pies” campaign to promote its Hot Honey pizza, demonstrating the brand’s willingness to push boundaries in its marketing.
Pizza Hut’s latest TikTok-driven campaign shows how brands are using social media not just for advertising but as a platform to engage customers directly. By rewarding creative content, the brand is turning social trends into a unique form of currency, giving every TikTok user the chance to participate.