Though most pizza origin myths lead back to Italy, the tandoorified conveyor belt pies sold by quick-service restaurant chains like Domino’s in India are anything but Italian. Well, the company wants to tell customers through its new ad featuring international chef-celebrity Vikas Khanna, that is about to change. The only other celebrity to grace the chain’s campaigns after actor Paresh Rawal, Khanna has designed a range of Italian ingredient-inspired pizzas for the chain. For a brand that prides itself on price points and delivery, what prompted the chef’s appointment? 

Harneet Singh Rajpal, senior vice-president, marketing, says, “We were looking at the top 10 cities that contribute to our business and we realised that customer tastes were evolving in terms of preference for European-style pizzas. Khanna will add credibility to our work since he has strong Indian roots and is a Michelin star chef. The ad is a reflection of this change and we expect it to make our customer engagement stronger.” Conceptualised by Contract Advertising, the film — instead of spinning a story around the pizza — is a story of the pizza itself. A Contract spokesperson said, “We rarely see stories about the food. That was the task we chose: to romance the pizza and tell its story.” Will bringing tradition into the game work for Domino’s? Only time will tell.