Pizza Hut and Deutsch Deliver a Wacky Spokes-Driver

You can call him Pete

Meet Pete Zahut. Today, he drives into the adver-sphere via Deutsch to deliver Pizza Hut pies far and near.

With his branded jacket, shades, backwards baseball cap, wacky ways—and that name—Pete seems like a spoof of commercial spokescharacters.

But CMO Melissa Friebe describes him as “the embodiment of the brand’s heritage and spirit of delivering more than just pizza. Peter feeds the good times and delivers unforgettable experiences. It’s all about celebrating the legendary moments that happen over a box of pizza.”

Dude’s got a sweet a ride, as we see in his debut:

That was self-aware. Probably.

Pete’s nowhere near as obnoxious as Domino’s infamous Noid. Or as murderous as Hell Pizza’s puppet. He’s like a sauce-and-cheese-lovin’ Jake From State Farm. And Alex Bonifer—a Groundlings vet who looks like he stepped out of the Eagles circa 1974—plays the part with goofy gusto.

“Finding the perfect talent was crucial,” Friebe recalls. “We didn’t want to select someone who already had established notoriety. He was fun, approachable and genuinely excited to take on this role, which we believe will come through authentically as we continue to work with him.”

“He’s not meant to be the center of attention, but the straw stirs the drink, instigating good times with a flair for the dramatic,” adds Ryan Lehr, Deutsch co-CCO.

Pizza Hut surely hopes Pete will resonate, as sales have sagged of late.

Arts & Sciences’ Mike Warren directed in suitably broad strokes. The hoops scenario’s presumably tied to March Madness.