Super Bowl, Super Offer: Papa John’s to Give America Free Pizza If Super Bowl XLV Goes into Overtime.
First Super Bowl to be Played Under New Postseason Overtime Rules May Be First to Deliver Free Pizza
Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Miles Austin Serves as Spokesperson
Press Release:
LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–No Super Bowl has ever gone into overtime. And no pizza company has ever called such a bold play: Papa John’s, the Official Pizza of the NFL and Super Bowl XLV, announced today that it is offering a free large pizza to everyone in America if Super Bowl XLV, to be played on Feb. 6 in North Texas, goes into overtime.
“The Super Bowl is the largest stage in all of sports, and being the Official Pizza Sponsor of Super Bowl XLV, there’s no better event or day to serve as a platform for our largest offer ever,” said Andrew Varga, Papa John’s chief marketing officer. “We’re going to be working overtime Super Bowl Sunday to make sure our customers have a great day with the highest-quality pizza, and we’re hoping for an unprecedented overtime so that we can deliver on this offer for America.”
To be eligible for a free large, up to three-topping pizza if Super Bowl XLV goes into overtime, all consumers need to do is register for Papa John’s online customer loyalty program, Papa Points, at www.papajohns.com any time now until 11:59 pm ET Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011. Then if Super Bowl XLV goes into overtime, the free pizza will be awarded to all Papa Points enrollees Monday, Feb. 7 in the form of 25 Papa Points – the amount of points needed to redeem a large up to three-topping pizza. Consumers can redeem the 25 Papa Points for the free pizza anytime through June 30, 2011.
Overtime has more significance than ever this postseason. Prior to the 2010 season, the NFL adopted a modified sudden death format only for the postseason. Each team now has the opportunity to possess the ball at least once in the extra quarter unless the team that receives the overtime kickoff scores a touchdown on its first possession.
Papa John’s fan and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin knows first-hand the excitement of NFL overtime. Austin, who is serving as spokesperson for Papa John’s Super Bowl XLV overtime offer, set a Cowboys single-game record of 250 yards receiving in his first NFL start ever in 2009, including a 60-yard touchdown reception in overtime to beat Kansas City.
“As a Dallas Cowboy I know everything is bigger in Texas, and this offer certainly fits that criteria. I’ll be leading the cheers for Super Bowl XLV to go in overtime, so I can win a free large, three-topping pizza from Papa John’s along with everyone in America,” Austin said.
A total of 27 postseason NFL games have gone into overtime, starting with the 1958 NFL Championship. While none of the 10 playoff games this season went into overtime, two post-season games were decided in overtime in 2010, including the NFC Championship when New Orleans defeated Green Bay 31-28 and went on to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Both Green Bay and Pittsburgh have experience in playoff overtimes: Green Bay is 2-3, and Pittsburgh is 2-2 in postseason overtime games.
Papa John’s is the only national pizza chain to offer a customer loyalty program. Once registered in Papa Points at www.papajohns.com, customers earn one point for every $5 spent online. When customers accumulate 25 points, they receive a promo code for free pizza with an online purchase from Papa John’s. It’s that simple.
Papa John’s is in the first year of a multi-year sponsorship with the NFL and Papa John’s is also the Official Pizza of the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For 10 of the past 11 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment. Papa John’s is the Official Pizza Sponsor of the National Football League and Super Bowl XLV, XLVI and XLVII. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.
© 2011 NFL Properties LLC. Team names/logos/indicia are trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League.
Miles Austin’s participation was scheduled by NFL PLAYERS, the marketing and licensing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.