Clever direct marketing leaflet for pizza delivery

I like this prankish pizza leaflet. Link

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

MORE: Funny

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

easy2panic

I agree it’s clever, but I do not like that. First of all I never look out the peep hole unless someone is knocking on the door or ringing the door bell, thus I wouldn’t see it through the peep hole for weeks (I would take it off before then). Secondly, if someone were at the door and I couldn’t see who it is because that thing is in the way, I wouldn’t open the door.
Takuan

the lawn gnome lasers would have taken him out long before he got to the doorstep
Halloween Jack

This is kind of cruel, in the way that those fake folded-up $50 bills that are actually mini-religious tracts are cruel.
Antinous

CraigGNoble,

What are you on about?
insomma

Clever isn’t the right word. EASY pointed out that the way we use peep holes normally would limit the effectiveness of the publicity as well as hinder the peep hole’s functionality.

Takuan, do they make apartment hallway gnome lasers? If so I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter.
NicoleRichieVicodinRave

“Secondly, if someone were at the door and I couldn’t see who it is because that thing is in the way, I wouldn’t open the door.”

Easy to panic is right.
Stefan Jones

This has so many possibilities.

Imagine a Gray Alien holding a probe . . .
wolfwitch

I generally hate advertising with a passion, but have to admit- this is pretty cool. I don’t have one of those little peep hole thingys though, and it would look ridiculous attached to my front door’s window.

My big concern would be the adhesive. It would have to be strong enough to hold the thing to the door in varying weather conditions, but not so strong as to damage the door’s finish.

As for the issue brought up by @EASY2PANIC- they could probably ring the bell to draw your attention to it. I suspect most people would be pissed if that happened though.
Jack

Papa John’s pizza is nasty. And now they want to “hack” an ad. Ugh? Can some corporate scandal scuttle that company already.
manicbassman

so what happens if some never do wells get hold of those and decide to use them to “hide behind” pretending to be pizza deliveries and then rob your place when you open the door???

STUPID idea… absolutely syupid… I hope they get sued into oblivion when someone inevitably gets robbed/raped/or worse by some one using these to hide behind…
technogeek

Clever and amusing. “The worst you can call it is harmless.”

However, I just got spam (claiming to be) from them. Permanent boycott.
pewma

not to be a no-it-all douche. but this one is about a year and a half ago.
Reverend Loki

“Hello, 911? There’s this creepy delivery guy standing in the hall outside my door, and he won’t go away, no matter how much I yell at him. No, I didn’t order a pizza!”
TheEvilJeremy

I’m disappointed to see a favorite prank being exploited this way. In our college dorm room days, some friends and I took a picture of the building RA with a cop and made a similar device. When we would notice “funny smells” coming from under a door, we would tape it up and knock, then wait for hilarity to ensue.

Since it only works if somebody knocks or rings the bell, I’m guessing that the Papa John’s version is not in mass production, but rather a one-off photograph meant to circulate the web.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator

Anyone who could mistake a color-separated still picture on lightweight offset paper stock for a real person at the front door deserves to be eaten by predators.

Whysteriastar’s site appears to have vanished. It’s a mystery.

CraigGNoble @24, could you please try using something other than the imperative? Thank you.

Takuan @29, I like it.

Nelson C. @37: religious tracts, like Republican campaign literature, and Cosmo articles on how to keep your man, can be used as sex toys!

The game goes like this: one person sits in a semi-reclining position and starts reading the literature aloud. The other person artfully pleasures them. Object of the game: how long can you keep reading in a clear, level voice?

The person who told me about this held that reading Republican campaign literature was definitely the kinkiest variant, and the most fun.
DavidPFarrell

#5 Stefan Jones

I find your ideas fascinating, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
ROSSINDETROIT

I thought of this years ago. My idea was to go door to door selling to old people video screens that would mount inside the door and in conjunction with a pinhole camera take the place of the conventional peep hole. So much more convenient.
Then as I installed each one I would copy the image in the screen facing outward from the vantage point of the door and showing the empty porch or hallway. I would print these pictures and sell them to robbers. The robber tapes the pic over the pinhole camera and rings the doorbell. It looks like nobody is there, so the rob-ee opens the door. Evil! My idea is wasted on mere pizza peddlers.
Narual

Or some lunatic could throw one of these on your peephole, you’re not careful and open the door to tell the papa john’s guy he’s an idiot and you didn’t order a pizza, and you end up in a pit in someone’s basement.
easy2panic

#10 Reverend Loki, LOL
mikelite

I seriously doubt this was an actual piece. More than likely, it was created just for the award shows. relax people.
SamSam

You know, I (1) hate advertising leaflets on/in/near my door, and (2) never use the peep-hole. HOWEVER, If I came home and saw one of these sticking to my door, I’d immediately work out what it was for, and then look through the peep-hole to see what it looked like.

Thus I would have taken an active participation in the advertisement. This, I imagine, would be considered a smashing success by Papa John’s et al., because it would be more likely to stick in my mind.

I think it’s pretty clever.
Antinous

A predator could use this kind of scheme to hurt someone. The dumbass who came up with this needs a smack across the face.

You know what’s dangerous? Doors. Predators could totally use them to get into your house. Windows, too.
whysteriastar

This is so clever, I love it. I put it in my asshole’s guide to etiquette http://www.hlsgd.rthdyblg.cm/2008/06/05/-crprt-sshls-tchnq/#rspnd to discuss if it will work or just piss people off.
johnfoster

it’s been done before. search for “gimme the cash”, click I’m feeling lucky, and watch the video that is delivered.
zuzu

Or some lunatic could throw one of these on your peephole, you’re not careful and open the door to tell the papa john’s guy he’s an idiot and you didn’t order a pizza, and you end up in a pit in someone’s basement.

“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”
Mikey Likes BoingBoing

If you are the guy (who probably has been paid a pittance) hired put these things up on people’s doors, make VERY sure you are not caught.

#31: Right you are. The ad blocks the peephole, a perp notices it and simply waits patiently for someone to open the door to remove the ad…
Anonymous

What a stupid idea. Nice… A predator could use this kind of scheme to hurt someone. The dumbass who came up with this needs a smack across the face.
Anonymous

How about you (“the company”) do not stick stuff to my property? Just a thought…
Antinous

whysteriastar,

Please don’t link to your blog unless it adds something new or informative to the discussion.
Talia

Not to be argumentative, but her post seemed relevant to me. She did say they were discussing it there too.
jeffcapeshop

I’ve seen this image online a lot – rather than an actual working advertising system, i think it’s designed as an online viral marketing scheme (which i suspect is much cheaper and much more effective)
Anonymous

There was a version of this in 5th Element.
Meyer

What if this were re-engineered for evil to take over the…

Actually, what if instead of the “Pizza Guy” you “branded” the view from the peephole?

Instead of an opaque image, you placed your company logo, in one of the lower quadrants, on a transparent background. Then the peephole would still be functional, but the “user” would see a branded view of the world.

Although, it might be a little awkward if it’s branded for Papa John’s and the Domino’s guy shows up.
CraigGNoble

No more discussion. Drop it.

This is creepy as hell. It’s also fiction. Don’t fall into the trap.
Talia

….

the Papa John’s pizza trap of doom?
Takuan

now, what if Kramer turned his peephole inside out and put a picture of HIMSELF on the other side????
Takuan

I always leave my door a couple feet ajar. There is a small mirror mounted in front of the peephole on the outside. There is also a mirror the inside. When people come to the door, they become engrossed in the existential mystery of it all and I slip up behind them, smash them on the head and take their pizza or religious tracts.
jeffjonez

Props to Saatchi & Saatchi for getting free press for pizza two years on: http://www.therawfeed.com/2006/06/next-generation-door-flier-hits.html
Nelson.C

The pizza I understand, but what do you do with the religious tracts, Takuan?
Takuan

golem chems
Cefeida

All I can think of is my senile grandmother being scared out of her mind because she’d think this was real, and she would think someone was at the door. Kind of like #10 said.

Not sure if I’m for or against a stunt like this.
Takuan

in honor of the earlier Jehovahs Witnesses thread, and slimily using this item as a cunning segue into this;

I share with you all a Subtle and Powerful Charm against Solicitors, Soul Thieves and Pests. This is strong medicine, tested in the crucible of time and The Front Porch. If you copy this script (left handed, mind you!) in stoat’s blood on a parchment of scraped skin of Telephone Solicitor – it be sure power against Them!

“THEOLOGICAL DEBATE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Base Rate: Three hour minimum, One hundred dollars per hour, payable in advance (tax included)”