Twitter’s trending topics -- to the dismay of some -- are often filled with whimsical hashtags that emerge organically (today’s #awkwardsituation for example). Pizza Hut is trying to force the issue a bit with a new Valentine’s Day-themed promotion that encourages users to tweet pick-up lines, with the added bonus of free desserts for the most creative entries.
The promotion, announced on the @pizzahut feed earlier today, asks users to append #iluvPH to their (G-rated) tweets. It will run through Valentine’s Day, with the 100 best submissions as judged by Pizza Hut to be notified of their free “chocolate-topped dessert sticks” (sounds just like what you need after a 2,000 calorie pizza and wings binge) on Monday the 15th.
Looking at the promotion so far, it appears to be far from breaking into Twitter’s trending topics, but is seeing plenty of tweets, including the oft-tested, rarely (if not ever) approved, “How much does a Polar Bear weigh? Enough to break the ice” and, “Are you a parking ticket? Because you've got FINE written all over you.”
In the past, the chain has demonstrated a knack for attracting some buzz in the social media world, starting with a widely reported search for a Twitter intern long before that became a desirable job. That intern then offered up free food to those that became fans of Pizza Hut on Twitter and Facebook during a summer promotion, which have helped the company's presence grow to more than 25,000 followers and 1.1 million fans, respectively. It also has an iPhone app that's generated more than $1 million in sales.