🍕 Why a pizza company spent thousands fixing roads

In a world where pizza chains spend millions on celebrity endorsements and gimmicky ads, Domino’s went all-in on something radically different—solving a problem so obvious that no one else had even thought about it.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The creative reason behind why Dominoes started fixing potholes

• How Dominoes builds unique storytelling campaigns

• Ways to creatively solve customer pain points 

• Why fixing roads turned out to be one of Domino’s smartest branding moves

• The power of sticking to your brand’s core promises

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Potholes, Pizza, and a Big Problem

In 2018, Domino’s faced a challenge that many successful companies encounter: how to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Pizza delivery was no longer their exclusive game. Delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash were taking a bite out of their territory, offering everything from tacos to sushi straight to customers’ doors.

But Domino’s had an edge—they weren’t just a pizza company; they were a delivery company. And they knew their reputation hinged on one thing: getting piping-hot pizzas to customers in perfect condition. However, there was one unexpected nemesis wreaking havoc on their product: potholes.

Potholes were a practical problem with a humorous twist. A rough ride could cause a pizza to slide, smush, or flip in its box, ruining the customer’s experience. It was a small inconvenience, but Domino’s recognized it as a big opportunity.

The question was: How could they turn this quirky observation into a campaign that set them apart?

Paving the Way to a Genius Idea

Instead of rolling out another flashy ad campaign, Domino’s took a much bolder approach. They decided to literally solve the pothole problem—by fixing the roads themselves. The “Paving for Pizza” campaign was born.

Here’s how it worked: Domino’s partnered with local governments to identify roads in need of repair. In cities across the U.S., Domino’s paid for potholes to be filled, ensuring that pizza deliveries—and every other kind of delivery—could cruise over smoother streets. Once a pothole was repaired, the company left a temporary “Domino’s” logo stamped next to the fix, giving them both local visibility and social media buzz.

At first glance, it might seem like a random idea, but it was anything but. Domino’s understood three key things:

1. Aligning with the Brand Promise: Domino’s wasn’t selling pizzas; they were selling a delivery experience. By addressing road conditions, they reinforced their commitment to ensuring the best pizza arrived at their customers’ doors.
   

2. Leaning into Relatability: Potholes annoy everyone, not just pizza lovers. By tackling a shared frustration, they created goodwill and connected with their audience on a deeper level.
   

3. Amplifying the Story: The campaign was designed to go viral. The concept of a pizza chain fixing potholes was quirky enough to grab attention, while the local road repairs gave it real-world impact. Domino’s made sure people would talk about it—and they did.

The strategy also had an element of subtle genius: it wasn’t about the number of potholes they could fix. It was about the message. Domino’s took a customer pain point—literally—and turned it into a rallying cry for their brand.

Of course, there was risk involved. Would people see this as a clever, pizza-focused solution or as a gimmick? Domino’s bet big on the former, leaning on their track record of innovation to ensure the campaign would resonate.

Smooth Roads, Smooth Success

The gamble paid off. “Paving for Pizza” became a massive hit, generating millions of dollars in earned media coverage and capturing the public’s imagination. Social media exploded with videos of repaired roads and Domino’s-branded potholes, with users tagging their local governments to request repairs in their neighborhoods.

The campaign also did wonders for Domino’s brand. It wasn’t just seen as a pizza company—it was a problem-solving company, one that cared about its customers’ experiences in unexpected ways. The campaign helped Domino’s reinforce its image as an industry innovator, ensuring they stayed top of mind in a competitive delivery landscape.

By the end of the campaign, Domino’s had fixed over 200 potholes across the U.S. While the repairs themselves were temporary, the impact was long-lasting. Sales went up, customer sentiment soared, and Domino’s earned a reputation for being the company that wasn’t afraid to get their hands dirty for the sake of better pizza.

Today, Domino’s is still a leader in the pizza delivery space, but the lesson from “Paving for Pizza” is timeless: The best strategies come from understanding your customer’s pain points—sometimes literally—and finding creative ways to solve them.

🍫 Snackable Stats

$107 Billion  – The cost of damage to American drivers due to poor road conditions

1 Billion – The estimated number of impressions Paving For Pizza brought in

100,000 – The number of Twitter mentions for the #pavingforpizza campaign

$5,000 – The amount Domino’s donated to each participating town to cover road repair costs.

50 – The number of states Paving For Pizza covered

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