dominos pizza reindeer

In what seems like a cute Christmas publicity stunt, Domino’s has announced it is to train reindeer to deliver pizza in Hokkaido, Japan. There’s a little ‘training’ video and everything! 

 


Except… it all looks pretty serious. The video shows a deer undergoing a delivery bootcamp, first with pizzas strapped to its back and then with a novelty sleigh. The critter is tasked with navigating a course laid out in a car park, while a specially developed GPS tracks it.

That’s because it’s not a stunt. Hokkaido is set to face particularly cold weather this Christmas, with severe snowfall also forecast. And there’s a reason Santa works with reindeer, after all… Domino’s says its beasts will get a full-scale rollout, and that the trials are designed to make sure of their welfare.

But what if Rudolph gets hungry en route and nibbles on the deliveries? Perhaps a carrot calzone could serve as payment.