Pizza Hut launches 'If I Can Dream' contest to engage Millennials

Pizza Hut launched a sweepstakes and instant win game August 16 for the If I Can Dream web series in an effort to engage younger audiences. The restaurant chain worked with its digital agency of record IMC2 on the effort.

“The Ultimate Dream Give Away” sweepstakes will run through September 25.

If I Can Dream is an online show, created by American Idol mastermind Simon Fuller, which follows a group of young aspiring artists as they try to make it in Hollywood. It is streamed live 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pizza Hut is featuring the instant win game and sweepstakes on a branded microsite and on the company's Facebook fan page.

If consumers add a two-liter bottle of PepsiCola to their Pizza Hut.com purchase, they can enter to win prizes including $10,000, free Pizza Hut pizza for a year and gift cards.

Although capturing e-mail addresses is a part of the initiative, Pizza Hut is doing so to notify participants if they win, said Alexa Robinson, public relations and emerging media coordinator at Pizza Hut. Participants can also opt in to the company's e-mail alerts.

“This is a great way to connect with consumers who are watching television and video online,” said Robinson. “Reaching Millennials in unique and accessible ways is important to Pizza Hut in the digital space, and this promotion with If I Can Dream allows us to reach them.”

She added that the partnership is also an opportunity to work with an up-and-coming digital brand.

Pizza Hut also hopes the effort will drive Pepsi sales, said Robinson.

“[Buying a Pepsi] is the main way to receive a code to enter the sweepstakes, and that would be a measure of success,” said Robinson, adding that Pepsi is a main sponsor of If I Can Dream.