As the AOR for North Italia, we’re constantly looking for ways to kickstart excitement around the brand and rally fans around their menu of delicious and eclectic pizzas. We looked at the calendar and found the perfect day: Pi Day (March 14th… 3.14 – get it?)

And the best part? That date aligned with the start of SXSW.

They may be a chain, but they take great pride in its authentic connection to the local areas where its restaurants live. And we knew that one of the biggest factors driving diners’ decisions to patronize restaurants was a desire to support local businesses.

So we created something that exemplified the brand’s character while still to an audience that may not know who North Italia is yet.

Every North Italia location is built around an open kitchen plan. It’s the restaurant’s way of giving the guests something to watch while they eat, drink, or socialize. So turbocharged this same concept for the SXSW audience, chreating a show to end all shows.

Our original Vespa stunt show got scrapped when the weather forecast turned gnarly, so we pivoted to a BMX stunt show inside a circular cage we branded the “Globe of Dough.”

This would be our centerpiece, the hook to lure curious attendees to our space and set them up with a free slice.

In addition to the show and pizzas we gave out, we used every inch of space for other fun branded activities: from free North Italia inspired tattoos to a DJ played Dance Party for people waiting in line for their free food and mocktails.

We also covered the space with custom signage, including on with hundreds of digits of pi wrapped aroudn The Globe Of Dough. Then we sent a street team in custom-made jumpsuits out on the town to invite folks to stop by.

From the moment we opened the doors until the last pie was eaten, North Italia’s space was absolutely humming, serving over 1000 people, giving away 1000’s pizzas and 100+ brand-themed tattoos. We had over 70 media placements covering the event, and on social, we delivered a whopping 913M+ impressions.

But the most important goal was also reached: the local Austin restaurant location saw a significant jump in sales.