Boston Pizza is Bringing Some ‘Pizzaz’ to Father’s Day Gifts

The “Za for Pa Father’s Day Gift Shop” features BP-themed Dad gifts, and a surprise that lets Dad eat for free

Let’s face it: Father’s Day gifts aren’t usually the most exciting or inspiring. A colourful pair of socks, perhaps a beer cooler or a book, have become the default dad gifts over the years.

But Boston Pizza is hoping to bring a little, well, pizzaz to the annual occasion this year with the launch of its “Za for Pa Father’s Day Gift Shop.”

Launched on May 25 and open through Father’s Day (June 18), the online shop was developed in partnership with Society6, an online marketplace that features items created by more than 450,000 independent artists worldwide.

The online shop features 19 tropical-themed items that are among the usual dad gifts: a water bottle, duffle bag, throw blanket, coaster set, laptop sleeve and, yes, socks. Each item features a distinctive Boston Pizza-themed design.

But subtly incorporated among each design of palm fronds, parrots, and pizza slices is a special QR code that drives to a registration site. When Dads send a picture of themselves with their Za for Pa gift to the site, they receive a $25 gift card for a first time ever ‘Dads Eat Free’ promotion.

“Dads are some of our most loyal guests, so we thought what better way to celebrate them than with pizza-laden gifts that unlock free pizza?” said Sean Megna, Marketing Manager at Boston Pizza.

The gift shop is being promoted through a social media campaign featuring individual ads for each of the store’s items, with Dads demonstrating the products using typically humorous dad poses. The ads drive to the BP Father’s Day Gift Shop website.

“We know there are a lot of Dads and Father Figures out there who are big fans of Boston Pizza. And Boston Pizza is a big fan of them,” says Cam Boyd, Executive Creative Director at john st., the Toronto agency behind the BP Father’s Day Gift Shop.

“While Boston Pizza has run ‘Kids Eat Free’ promotions many times before, we thought that combining the Father’s Day tradition of receiving some not-so-special gifts with a ‘Dads Eat Free’ offer gives Dad what he really wants: A gift he expects, plus a surprise meal with the family.”

Boston Pizza will donate all net proceeds from the sale of Za for Pa items to the Coalition to Cure Prostate Cancer. 

The campaign is live through June 18.

Title: Za for Pa Father’s Day Gift Shop

Client: Boston Pizza

SVP Marketing & Communications: Peter Blackwell

Vice President, Marketing: James Kawalecki

Director of Marketing: Niels van Oyen

Marketing Manager, On-Premise: Sean Megna

Associate Marketing Manager, On-Premise: Kenrick Phillip

Associate Marketing Manager, Off-Premise: Vanessa Bouziotas

Agency: john st

Executive Creative Director: Cam Boyd

Art Director: Ben Nusca

Copywriter: Emma Lorenzi

Copywriter: Martin Rivard

Producer: Larissa Lee

EVP, Account Management: Tishan Canagasaby

Business Lead: Andrea Friday

Account Director: Harjot Tatla

Account Executive: Ankita Surendran

Designer: Caio Oyafuso

Photography Studio: Fuze

Managing Director/ Lead Agent/ Executive Producer: Nicole Gomez

Director/ Photographer: Chris Robinson

Agency Coordinator: Devyn Hill

Retoucher/ Illustrator: Nabil Elsaadi

Website Development: One Pixel Off
Founding Partner: Clayton Partridge

Website Design/ UX: Bandada
Partner, Production: Jennifer Paul
Executive Creative Director, Co-Founder: Ryan Hryciuk

Media Agency: UM