Domino’s Pizza in Russia announced an “ unprecedented new campaign ” at the end of August, offering free pizza for life to anyone brave enough to get a tattoo of their logo “in a prominent place.” Pizza fans were challenged to share a photo of their tattoo to social media with the hashtag “#???????????????,” which roughly translates to “dominance.”
The deal was slated to run through the end of October. Pizza fans were asked to upload a picture of their Domino’s-related tattoo to Instagram, Facebook, or Vkontakte, a popular Russian social network. This would grant the bearer of the tattoo a certificate entitling them to free pizza for life, which the company defined as 100 pizzas each year for 100 years.
Because of the overwhelming popularity of the promotion, Domino’s was forced to end the deal after only five days. They announced this change on their VK site, advising those who already had appointments with tattoo artists to cancel them. Those who had already received tattoos would be eligible for the free pizza certificates, which were now limited to 350 winners.
This is a staggering amount of pizza and a great investment for anyone who enjoys a slice now and again. If the free pizza runs about $10, like it would in the U.S., someone could get $1,000 worth of pizza in exchange for a tattoo that costs only a fraction that. If everyone takes full advantage of their exciting new pizza award in the first year, that’s $350,000 of free pizza given away. Over the next five years, the pizza chain could be on the hook for almost $2 million worth of pizza.
That’s a lot of dough.
Whether motivated by the joy of free food, the whimsy of having a brand tattoo, or the thought of receiving tens of thousands of dollars of free food, there was no shortage of people willing to take Domino’s up on the offer.
The promotion was an instant hit. While many opted for small tattoos of the iconic red and blue domino on their shoulders and ankles, some people opted for more visible tattoos. One group of friends showed off four domino tattoos on their hands and arms.
One Russian opted for a simple linework tattoo of the internationally famous logo.
Instagram user @easy_anthony paid tribute to the pizza chain more dramatically, with the logo appearing in a clawed hand, labeled “Prisoner Of Freebie.”
As of last year, Domino’s had less than 100 stores open in Moscow.
