Pizza Hut Hong Kong has launched a playful campaign, offering free pineapple toppings on pizzas, seemingly taking a jab at Italians following a controversy at the Paris Olympics. This promotion comes after the Italian Fencing Federation contested Hong Kong athlete Edgar Cheung’s gold medal win.
In a social media post, Pizza Hut Hong Kong announced that from now until July 31, customers can enjoy extra pineapple toppings for free with specific pizza orders at all their locations.
The campaign appears to respond to the Italian fencing body’s formal protest to the International Fencing Federation (FIE) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the “unacceptable refereeing” in the final match between French fencer Filippo Macchi and Cheung. Italian Fencing Federation President Paolo Azzi voiced his frustration, stating, “Macchi is the real winner and was denied the gold medal he deserved.” Italian Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago also criticized the selection of referees, suggesting there was a fundamental error.
Macchi, who received a silver medal, expressed a mix of disappointment and pride, encouraging others to enjoy the achievement while acknowledging his mistakes.
The incident sparked significant online discussion, with over 20,000 mentions recorded in the past two days. According to Charles Cheung, CARMA’s Hong Kong GM, 36.7% of these mentions carried a negative sentiment, with most criticism coming from fans of both athletes. Italian supporters claimed Cheung’s victory was undeserved, while Hong Kong netizens defended him and made light-hearted comments about pineapple on pizza.
In addition to Pizza Hut, other local brands like IKEA Hong Kong and Genki Sushi Hong Kong capitalized on Cheung’s victory. IKEA posted an image of a dog toy mimicking Cheung’s playful expression during his medal win, while Genki Sushi offered a 20% discount on shrimp sushi dishes on July 30 in celebration.
The light-hearted promotions and online banter highlight the cultural differences and ongoing debate over the contentious pineapple pizza topping.