Dive Brief:

• Domino's latest ad campaign ties the countdown aspect of its Domino's Tracker technology to the famous race home scene from the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," according to a joint Domino's and Paramount Pictures press release.
• The campaign features an online-only video as well as national TV spots in 15-, 30- and 60-second versions. Joe Keery, one of the lead actors in the Netflix series "Stranger Things," stars in the ad and is seen racing home to meet a pizza delivery driver while tracking his progress via Domino's Tracker. Alan Ruck, the actor who played Ferris' friend Cameron Frye in the classic '80s movie, also makes a cameo.
• "We know that customers find the Domino's Tracker to be a fun part of ordering from Domino's, so we tried to capture their excitement in this new ad," said Karen Kaiser, Domino's vice president of advertising, in the release. 

Dive Insight:

Domino's Tracker countdown launched in 2008 and is an example of how proprietary brand technology that might at first seem gimmicky can become a staple of business — and now the focus of an entire ad campaign — if it has practical use.

Tying classic pop cultural references to ad campaigns can not only brighten the creative aspect but also potentially draw in consumers who wouldn't necessarily order from Domino's to begin with. Heinz recently tapped the AMC series "Mad Men" in a similar fashion, resurrecting a failed advertising pitch from the TV show for real-world print and out-of-home promotions.

The Domino's spot airing exclusively online, at least initially, additionally demonstrates the growing importance of digital to the rollout of major national campaigns such as this. Including the star of a popular series like "Stranger Things," coupled with the "Ferris Bueller" references, might give the effort some viral legs. 

The longer spots also point out the different ways people can order and track a Domino's pizza, such as through an Amazon Echo device, a smart TV or wearables like a smartwatch.