Approved by Italians. Kind of… Pizza Hut Middle East Launches Pasta Campaign

Pizza Hut Middle East has launched a new pasta range with a campaign that challenges traditional Italian culinary norms by involving Italians from around the world in a filmed taste test.

“Yes, the same Pizza Hut that Italy frowns upon has now taken on another Italian classic,” said the campaign. The kind that’s creamy, cheesy, loaded with sauce, and blatantly breaks every Italian rule in the book.”

Before unveiling its pasta, the brand initiated a social experiment designed to test the limits of tradition. The campaign centers on the idea that traditional Italians—those who deeply value the sanctity of their cuisine—would never accept a version of pasta made by Pizza Hut. Acknowledging this, the brand instead turned to Italians who were born and raised outside of Italy in countries such as Kazakhstan, Lebanon, and Japan. While they hold Italian passports, they do not necessarily adhere to traditional Italian culinary values.

The experiment featured two groups: traditional Italians and non-traditional Italians. Both were served Pizza Hut’s new pasta dishes—described as creamy, cheesy, and loaded with sauce—and their reactions were captured on film. Responses ranged from delight to disapproval, sparking conversation and debate.

Created by Publicis Middle East, the campaign draws attention to the contrast between the brand’s offerings and traditional Italian standards, highlighting the irony that a brand not present in Italy received approval from Italians—albeit non-traditional ones.

“We know our pasta isn’t what most would call conventional. But that’s what Pizza Hut is all about. Instead of hiding from it, we took it head-on,” said Ahmad Hasan, Marketing Manager at Pizza Hut Middle East.

“And it worked! Challenging something as sacred as Italian pasta felt like the natural next step for a brand that’s never played it safe (as you’ve all seen on our pizzas). We’ve always built our menu by doing what others wouldn’t, and proving that great taste doesn’t have to follow the rules. That’s why none of our menu items do.”

Augusto Correia, Creative Director at Publicis Middle East, added, “When a brand is brave enough to laugh at itself, that’s when people truly connect. It makes the brand feel real and relatable. Honesty is human. Perfection isn’t. And perfection never made anyone laugh.”