The International Olympic Committee has attempted to crack down on unauthorized marketing that uses the Olympics to advertise a product, but it appears Pizza Hut’s Korea division has found a loophole.
A screenshot from Yi Whan-woo of the Korea Times shows a sales promotion that has been used by Pizza Hut Korea during the Olympics, and it features the phrase “Pyengchang together.” Pyengchang, of course, is awfully similar to PyeongChang (the site of the Olympics), but it is simply a phrase that means “inflation” or “expansion.” The promotion is offering customers a cheese topping and a bottle of Pepsi for free when they buy premium pizzas.
The IOC has asked several South Korean companies to refrain from ambush marketing if they are not paying to be official sponsors of the Olympics, which Pizza Hut Korea is not. However, an official from the company insists the “Pyengchang together” phrase has nothing to do with the 2018 Winter Games.
As of now, it does not sound like Olympic officials plan to take action.
“Using pyengchang is seen as no big deal as long as Olympic symbols and emblems are not used without authorization,” a PyeongChang Organizing Committee official said.
Unlike the guy who tried to sneak into the Olympic Village using fake documentation, it seems like Pizza Hut Korea may be onto something.
