Dive Brief:
- Nestlé is tapping into cultural trends to enhance its consumer relevance, increase shelf space and drive sales by launching four products with ties to the upcoming movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
- The food and beverage giant’s DiGiorno brand is unveiling limited-edition pizzas in June inspired by the Marvel Studios movie. The pizzas are: The Wade Special, a sweet and salty combo; Gimme Chimi, a chimichanga-inspired pizza; Spicy Wolvie Pie: a pie stacked with pepperoni, chorizo and bacon; and Maximum Pep, a pizza loaded with pepperoni.
- Nestlé noted that the latest limited-time items are a key part of the food and beverage giant’s broader innovation approach. By scaling the limited-time offer approach with retailers, Nestlé aims to increase its shelf space and deepen its consumer relationships.
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Dive Insight:
Nestlé’s movie-inspired pizzas are meant to build buzz and awareness for its popular DiGiorno line. The brand’s previous innovations included ice cream cones made from its Croissant Crust, a pizza-themed doughnut, and a Thanksgiving Pizza with all the fixings.
“DiGiorno is always looking for ways to tap into mainstream culture by pushing culinary boundaries through unique innovations and flavors, from our recent Thanksgiving Pizza to our all-onion ‘cry-pie,’ and we are now introducing our latest, most chaotic pies yet,” Kimberly Holowiak, senior brand manager for DiGiorno, said in a statement.
DiGiorno, with the tagline “It’s Not Delivery, It’s DiGiorno,” is Nestlé’s best-selling pizza, with nearly $1.3 billion in annual sales for the 52 weeks ending May 19, according to Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm. The brand recently lost its position as the market leader in the $7 billion frozen pizza category to competitor Red Baron, which had $1.4 billion in sales during the same period.
