Pizza Hut Brings Back A Slice Of The Parlor Experience With AR Pac-Man

There was a time when going out to eat at Pizza Hut was a thing. 

Rolling with the squad in your mom's station wagon to hit up the Pizza Hut, sipping fountain sodas from those iconic red tumblers, and munching on cheesy, bready goodness was the stuff of Friday night legends. Part of the fun, as if pizza wasn’t enough, was grabbing a fistful of quarters and showing those loud sprites who’s boss before putting your initials up on the leaderboard.

Pizza Hut isn’t bringing back its pizza parlors, as it sees the future being takeout and delivery, but thanks to some clever packaging and augmented reality (AR), The Hut is delivering the arcade experience at home. Partnering with Bandai Namco’s voracious yellow maze runner Pac-Man, they're giving customers the arcade game experience with the video game classic as the brand’s “newstalgia” campaign.

Customers can access the game by scanning a QR code on specially designed pizza boxes, which serves as the maze base. Gameplay happens through the phone, and no quarters are required. Players can also win a specially-designed arcade cabinet via sweepstakes.

“Everyone has their own special Pizza Hut memory—from being a BOOK IT! kid or grabbing a post-game pizza with your little league buddies,” actor and face of Pizza Hut’s campaign Craig Robinson said. “Growing up in the 80s, mine was going into Pizza Hut and devouring those little Pac-Man dots just like I did my pizza. Those arcade games in the restaurant—there was nothing better as a kid.”

Those looking for the full Hut experience will have to supply their own Tiffany-style lampshades, red-and-white checkerboard tablecloths, and buffet sneeze guards.