REAL PROJECT · INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, PACKAGING AND ADVERTISING

A pizza box that brought advertising into homes

Pizza box advertising campaign: design and distribution

How could advertising reach a home instead of being discarded in the street? We designed pizza boxes that connected advertisers, pizzerias and consumers through an existing delivery network.

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DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY · ADVERTISING PACKAGING

When a pizza box becomes an advertising medium

In 2011, around the Copa América, we worked on a campaign for car dealerships. We developed a pizza box advertising system as an alternative to flyers that could quickly be discarded: a medium delivered to homes, with a useful function and a new space for communication.

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01 · The challenge: getting advertising to its destination

Local advertising was usually distributed through flyers, many of which were discarded before anyone paid attention to the message. We asked what object entered homes, was welcomed with interest and was used when people gathered. The answer was a pizza box: everyday packaging that could gain an advertising function while retaining its original usefulness.

  • Initial requirement: communicate dealership promotions to audiences in specific areas.
  • Design problem: find a medium that would remain in use long enough to communicate its message.
  • Opportunity: use pizza distribution to deliver advertising directly to homes.

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02 · The concept: connecting brands, pizzerias and homes

We designed a model connecting three participants through one product. The advertiser funded communication on the packaging; the pizzeria received better-presented boxes at a reduced cost; and consumers received their usual orders with a message visible while they ate. The campaign used existing delivery routes, without requiring a new distribution network.

  • For brands: an advertising medium targeted by the area served by each pizzeria.
  • For pizzerias: higher-quality packaging at a lower cost for everyday operations.
  • For consumers: a message delivered to their home alongside an actual consumption experience.

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03 · Packaging development, graphics and production

To realise the proposal, we developed a proprietary box design measuring 320 × 320 × 40 mm, with a microcorrugated cardboard base and a coated paperboard lid. This combination met two requirements: containing and transporting the pizza, and providing a suitable surface for photographic-quality advertising images. We incorporated full-colour printing and a clear protective varnish, alongside graphic proposals featuring vehicles, promotions and discount coupons.

  • Structure: a microcorrugated cardboard base and coated paperboard lid designed for food-service use.
  • Graphics: photographic-quality full-colour printing and clear protective varnish.
  • Campaign: advertising pieces for car dealerships featuring vehicle images and promotions.

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04 · Production, distribution and outcome

The development extended beyond printing boxes: it integrated structural design, graphic communication, manufacturing and coordination with pizzerias to distribute the packaging across areas of La Plata. For the campaign associated with the 2011 Copa América, we worked on proposals for automotive brands including Volkswagen, Fiat and Peugeot. The result was an unconventional advertising system that integrated communication into an established commercial chain.

  • Physical object: a customised pizza box combining food transport with brand communication.
  • Technical solution: structural design, printing, protective finishing and series production.
  • Distribution system: selecting pizzerias by area and supplying boxes for their regular delivery operations.

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We did not invent the box. We changed its purpose.

The value of this development extended beyond the graphics and packaging. It lay in recognising an opportunity within an everyday system: connecting a brand that needed to communicate, a pizzeria that needed boxes and a consumer who received both products at home. Design also means observing what already exists and discovering how it can work differently.