Dr Oetker says it is avoiding the trend for "virtuous" brand messages with its new marketing strategy for Chicago Town pizza.

It is putting £5m behind the frozen pizza brand - which it bought as part of its acquisition of Schwan's pizza arm in December - to reposition it as a 'tasty, big-hearted' food option.

The campaign kicks off on Monday (12 January) with two new TV ads that focus on taste. They carry the strapline 'Tuck In' to encourage consumers to 'eat the food they love'. One of the ads targets mums while the other targets young adults.

The move marked a shift away from Schwan's focus on the brand's American and convenience credentials, said spokeswoman Paula Wyatt.

"The campaign has real standout in a world where consumers are bombarded with messages of virtue, worthiness and provenance," she said.

The advertising will kick off by promoting the Deep Dish portfolio, which Wyatt predicted would grow from £32.5m to £38m over the next year, but will feature other Chicago Town ranges throughout the year.

A Deep Dish Supreme pizza is being added to the range to give the brand more adult appeal. Deep Dish will also get a packaging revamp including the strapline "Full of taste from brim to base" to highlight the filled crust. The new packaging will be rolled out over the next two weeks.

Dr Oetker's purchase of the European pizza division of The Schwan Food Company, which includes licences for the Freschetta and Tony's trademarks, means the company now has 21.1% of the UK frozen pizza market.

Topics