Stoke-based challenger takeaway app Foodhub has recorded a 10 per cent spike in sales since it launched a saucy advertising campaign in December.
The company added that its social channels are also reaping the rewards of the risqué marketing campaign.
Foodhub is an online takeaway ordering app rivalling the likes of Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, home to over 30,000 restaurants and takeaway partners in the UK and abroad.
Combining the nation’s favourite takeaway dishes with raunchy shots, the advert portrays actors making cheeky innuendos relating to fast food favourites, whilst giving the audience a taste of Foodhub’s takeaway offerings.
The production pits a man in a bathtub, tape measure in hand, questioning whether a pizza should be “10 inches or 12”, and a female actor boasting about how “big” the choice is.
The advert goes on to promise the viewer “a night to remember”, encouraging them with a cheeky “you know you want to.”
Ardian Mula, Foodhub CEO, said: “Marketing our business in this manner was a risk, but we wanted something a little different from the norm. This was our first TV advert, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Working with Norwich-based JMS-Group, Foodhub put £35,000 towards production, while investing a further £165,000 per month for three months on Sky.
The advert divided opinion amongst Foodhub employees, CEO Ardian himself was initially unsure, with a number of staff stating they might struggle to show the advert to their families.
It wasn’t just within the business that the advert got people hot under the collar. Since airing on all Sky channels, the advert has attracted 53 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, which have all since been overturned. Foodhub said it didn’t set out to offend people, and “were confident that most viewers would appreciate the humour in the play on words.”
Off the back of the advert’s success, Foodhub has pledged to continue pushing marketing boundaries to capitalise on its new audience, with a second ad airing for the first time last month.
The app separates itself from other takeaway providers commercially, meaning ordering via the app or online is often up to 15% cheaper than ordering through a competitor.
Ardian Mula said: “We’re thrilled with the success of the advert, and despite being unsure at the beginning, the combined team effort that has gone into the creation of our risqué advert has led to fantastic results, and a boost to the team spirit.
“Once the advert was first broadcast, the internal morale boost was clear to see. The team were ecstatic to see Foodhub on TV, and this has allowed us to claim the sought after tag of ‘as seen on TV’.
“As a business, we’re not afraid to take risks, we want to be bold and daring in our goal to take on the big fish of the industry, so that’s what we did! Ultimately, the advert has delivered exceptional results for the business, so we’re already looking at what comes next.”
