“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” The words spring to mind when anyone familiar with the theme song from the comedy hit, Cheers, hears the opening notes of the music.
Playing on the idea of name recognition, Domino’s considered a Cheers tie-in to be the perfect way to promote their “Pie Pass.” It allows customers who order online or through the app to have their pies waiting for them under their name for pickup.
To promote the link between the personalized pizza experience and the warm feeling of belonging conveyed in the song, Domino’s created this commercial that inserts that experience into scenes of the Cheers regular, Norm, making his standard entrance into the bar – I mean into the pizza place.
To achieve that effect, George Wendt, the actor who played Norm, gave voice to his part in the commercial, though his appearance is taken from old footage from the show.
You have to be of a certain age to remember Cheers from its original run between 1982 to 1993. That would indicate that Domino’s is trying to attract the attention of Generation X by evoking memories of youth or nostalgia. Perhaps in line with what Lego does with some of its sets for adults and also like what the Atari-themed hotel plans to do.
It’s possible that while the app would naturally appeal to the younger generation that takes to using smartphones from infancy, Domino’s is deliberately trying to show that this technology can not only deliver convenience but bring back a feeling of being recognized that the previous generation may value.
It’s not certain that the commercial evoked exactly the kind of response Domino’s anticipated. There are no comments on the YouTube video as they have been disabled.
Some pointed out that having a board light up with your name is not synonymous with a truly welcoming environment in which you stay and chat for a while rather than taking your pie to go. Or maybe they just don’t like the idea of a pizza chain taking over a neighborhood bar even in a commercial.
But perhaps the nostalgic association will work as intended, and Gen Xers will feel like they are not just saving time but connecting on a human level when ordering their pizzas online.