INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Pizza Hut Seizes Kentucky Derby ‘Hoppertunity’ With Box Hats, ‘Thoroughbread Sticks’

By Kim LaCapria
Published on: 04:28 PST, May 2, 2014

Pizza Hut is getting in on the Kentucky Derby frenzy with a multi-layered promotion — including fancy Derby hats made from Pizza Hut boxes, and a brief renaming of “thoroughbread sticks” ahead of the big day.

Like the Kentucky Derby, Pizza Hut’s campaign will be over soon — but in the meantime, horse racing fans can celebrate the huge celebration and even get a discount on their pizza takeout, Marketing Daily reports:

“Between April 30 and Derby day, May 3, the pizza chain is pushing a deal wherein those who buy a large pizza can get an order of the chain’s popular breadsticks — temporarily rechristened ‘Thoroughbread Sticks’ — for $2… And to promote the deal, Pizza Hut had designer Angela Bacskocky create classic Derby-style women’s hats (shown) out of Pizza Hut pizza boxes and Wingstreet wings boxes.”

Doug Terfehr, Director of PR for Pizza Hut, said that not everyone will be on-site at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby — but everyone near a Pizza Hut can take advantage of the sweet discount on thoroughbread sticks:

“For the millions of fans that can’t make it to the race on Saturday, Pizza Hut is offering a great deal on our all-time favorite breadsticks, amply renamed ‘Thoroughbread Sticks,’ this week… There are not many sure things when it comes to the first Saturday in May, but this offer is sure to be a crowd pleaser.”

Twitter has been a forum for Pizza Hut to promote this Hoppertunity during the 2014 Kentucky Derby, and the brand sent tweets showing off their box-based Derby hats and encouraging fans to use the hashtag #thoroughbreadsticks:

Maybe your horse won’t come in — fans of Hoppertunity remain disappointed — but some lucky Pizza Hut followers had a crack at free pizza:

The designer of the marinara-based millinery tweeted:

Pizza Hut’s thoroughbread sticks promotion goes until tomorrow, May 3 — and if you’re tuning in for the 2014 Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby livestream, click here for streaming video and some odds on this year’s hottest picks — and to grab the $2 deal, no coupon is necessary if you order online at Pizza Hut’s website.

Share this article: Pizza Hut Seizes Kentucky Derby ‘Hoppertunity’ With Box Hats, ‘Thoroughbread Sticks’
More from Inquisitr