• by Erik Oster , March 14, 2024

Frozen pizza brand DiGiorno aims to leverage the mistakes made by pizzerias delivering their own pies.

The brand is rolling out a “Pizza Rescue” program, launched for Pi Day and running through April 11, that will award coupons on its pies based on how much of their delivery or takeout pizza has been mangled by careless delivery or takeout procedures.

Pizza fans who’ve been disappointed by such mishaps can share a photo of their problematic pies, which is then analyzed by the AI program to determine the extent of the “rescue” needed.

DiGiorno then extends a digital coupon based on what percentage of the pie is deemed “destroyed.” Zero to-30% will result in a dollar off, while 31%-60% will net a $1.50 off coupon, and 61%-100% will result in a full two dollars off. To participate, customers can upload an image to be assessed at the campaign landing site, with resulting coupon delivered to a mobile wallet, and a limit of one coupon per mobile device.

“The machine learning model used for the DiGiorno ‘Pizza Rescue’ program is a segmentation model which recognizes the areas of the image that either are or aren't pizza. The tool takes that information and uses different geometric algorithms to compare the shape and/or pizza recognized to the traditional ideal pizza shape and dimensions,” a DiGiorno representative explained. “By analyzing the regularity and circularity, the ratio of its area to its ideal area, and many other factors, the tool is able to provide the percent of damage.”

And yes, it appears that pies without any detectable damage will still result in a coupon, per the extent of the lowest range offered.

“DiGiorno believes that everyone deserves to enjoy the fresh baked taste that a perfectly round pizza has to offer, so theDiGiorno Pizza Rescue program is set up to reward consumers for the many mishaps they may encounter with ordering delivery or carry-out,” a DiGiorno representative told Marketing Daily. “While we aim for perfection, different coupon offerings will be available for every consumer who uses this new tool.”