Pizza Hut’s Commercial Falls Flat With Domino’s : Marketing: The ad wars that inflamed the cola and burger businesses have come to pizza.

The disheveled young men sit on the roof of what clearly is a Domino’s pizza store munching on a pie.

“Sure don’t know where we’d get our pizza if it wasn’t for Pizza Hut delivery,” one says to the other.

Pretty funny, Pizza Hut says.

Pretty insulting, Domino’s says.

The ad wars that inflamed the cola and burger businesses have come to pizza.

But don’t hold your breath waiting for Domino’s to shoot back.

As the self-proclaimed king of the pizza delivery business--hot to your door in 30 minutes or less, goes the claim--Domino’s is furious that Pizza Hut has come after it in comparative commercials.

And they question some of the claims that Pizza Hut is making, especially one about a taste test that shows Pizza Hut pie is favored over Domino’s.

Domino’s spokesman Mike Jenkins also says the portrayal of Domino’s workers is more than inaccurate, it’s outrageous.

“We have no problem with comparative advertising,” said Jenkins, public relations director for Ann Arbor-based Domino’s. “We do have a problem when people make fun of our employees and franchises.

“It would be fun if it wasn’t denigrating our employees. That’s just making fun, it’s not funny,” he said.

Roger Rydell, director of public affairs for Wichita, Kan.-based Pizza Hut Inc., thinks Domino’s is overreacting. “The ads are hysterical, and they are done in the right way. They take on the leader in the pizza delivery business.”

Domino’s has 5,365 delivery outlets worldwide. Pizza Hut, which has 6,600 eat-in restaurants, has expanded delivery from certain regions to about 3,000 restaurants. Domino’s keys its pitch to quick delivery. Pizza Hut says it takes longer, about 45 minutes to get from store to door, but its pizza tastes better.

Rydell said the taste test claim is valid, and it satisfied NBC and CBS. NBC ran the ad first during the Orange Bowl telecast on New Year’s night. The initial 60-second ad that so angered Domino’s is off the air now, but it could return, Rydell said.

So far, aside from hurt feelings at Domino’s, neither pizza maker is suffering any cash drawer casualties.

Pizza Hut said it has had great sales since the ad campaign began. The second phase of the ad campaign is now on the air.

Domino’s reported Thursday that sales at its company-owned stores were up 20% for the first week of the year, compared to the week earlier. That was pinned to a 30th-anniversary promotion designed to boost sales.