Before the start of the NCAA Tournament, Ed Gleich, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Little Caesars, said the following: “If a crazy thing happens and there’s an upset, it’ll be a big score for pizza lovers. And if the No. 1 (seeded) teams prevail, fans can still catch a great deal at Little Caesars with our high quality, HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo for just $5. Either way, customers win!”
Guess what, Ed? The ultimate NCAA Tournament upset occurred on March 16 when 16th-seeded University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) knocked off No. 1-seeded Virginia, 74-54—which marked the first time a No. 16-seed beat a No. 1-seed since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Before UMBC’s upset, 16 seeds were 0-135 all-time against 1 seeds.
Virginia finished its season with a record of their season of 31–3.
So, what does this mean for Little Caesars?
Well, before the NCAA Tournament began, Little Caesars made the following offer:
If any of the four 16-seeded men’s college basketball tournament teams defeated any of the four 1 seeds, Little Caesars will give away one free HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo to every family that goes into a participating store between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (local time) on Monday, April 2, 2018 and mentions the offer at checkout.
How crazy will it be at Little Caesars on April 2?
“We expect long lines!” Jill Proctor, Corporate Communications Manager for Little Caesars, told Loyalty360. “If you’re planning on coming and claiming your prize, we suggest you show up early.”
Available at participating restaurants nationwide, the Little Caesars $5 HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo includes four Detroit-style DEEP!DEEP! Dish pizza slices and a 20-ounce Pepsi product, all served during participating hours. To qualify, you must place your order no later than 1:00 p.m. (local time). If you place your order after 1:00 p.m. local time, even if you were in line at 1:00 p.m. (local time), the offer will have expired and will not be fulfilled. The offer is limited to one HOT-N-READY Lunch Combo per family (defined as parents, children, siblings, and spouse).
It’s valid only at participating stores in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. No purchase is necessary.
“We’re thrilled that it happened actually because we’re really excited for all the hype and enthusiasm that this has generated for our brand,” Proctor added. “We’re seeing a ton of engagement online and in the media—customers are excited about the historic game and the free lunch.”