Serving Slices in Style

Client
TasteMade
Year
2024

Various pizza-themed promotional items including a white pizza hat, a brown beer bottle, pizza stickers, a red Pizza Week booklet, a small jar, a pizza slice sticker, a checkered cloth, and other pizza-related merchandise all displaying the Pizza Week logo.
The word 'Inspiration' written in large, bold, red text.

Tastemade came to Whitestone with an exciting initiative to amplify their Pizza Week campaign. Known for food, home, and travel programming, as well as viral food-centric events, Tastemade’s vision for Pizza Week was to bring together talent and influencers to create buzz around the on-air celebration. Having collaborated with Whitestone on a prior project, Tastemade trusted Whitestone to build something memorable.

Their goal? Create buzzworthy kits to send to influencers, press partners, food industry content creators, and more, one week before Pizza Week. These kits would encourage participants to promote the campaign and drive excitement on social media. They wanted the kits to feel like a nostalgic pizza diner experience, with a blend of sustainability, practicality, and fun.

Text reading 'The Plan' in bold red letters on a black background.

Whitestone began by brainstorming ideas based on Tastemade’s goals and the campaign’s fun, pizza-centric theme. Drawing inspiration from old-school diners, Whitestone developed a mix of branded and retail items that were carefully curated to embody the spirit of Pizza Week. Mood boards were created to lay out the aesthetic, and custom mock-ups were designed to bring the concept to life quickly for client review.

The process ran in multiple stages to ensure alignment with Tastemade’s vision. Whitestone handled every aspect of the project, from product sourcing at discounted rates and package design and production to managing kitting and coordinating the shipment to over 100 addresses.

A cartoon pizza slice with arms, legs, a face, and a football helmet, striking a pose.
A flag with three horizontal stripes: cream-colored at the top, red in the middle, and dark blue at the bottom.
Close-up pattern of a checkered surface with alternating red and cream squares, resembling a tablecloth or floor tiles.
Boxes with the phrase 'Where taste is made' and a cartoon pizza character with a thumbs-up gesture. The boxes list cities and years, including Los Angeles 2012, London 2018, Buenos Aires 2014, Mumbai 2016, Sao Paulo 2020, Tokyo 2019, and more.

These mockups were from a beginning round of ideation, experimenting with different colors and design elements before landing on the final plan.

Open pizza box with pepperoni pizza slices, a white bucket hat with Pizza Week logo, a bottled beverage in a black koozie, a small jar of sauce, a pack of pizza coupons, various pizza-themed stickers, and a red Pizza Week flyer on a white surface.
The word 'Product' written in bold red letters with a black background.

The final kits were a curated blend of thoughtful, pizza-themed items, both branded and retail, designed to generate excitement and shareability. Each kit was packaged in a custom pizza box with all the nostalgic touches of a classic pizza diner. The kits included:

Outline of a straight razor with a circular handle and a blade.
Outline drawing of a bucket hat against a black background.
Icon of two white socks on a black background.
Black background with a white outline of a birthday candle on a round cake or cupcake.
Outline of a hand holding a notched object, possibly a ruler or spatula.
A stylized drawing of a matchbook with matches at the top.
Outline drawing of a blank, rolled-up scroll or banner on a black background.
A minimalist black and white icon resembling a folded note or speech bubble with rounded edges and a corner fold.

PIZZA CUTTER: A sleek, ergonomic design perfect for slicing through any crust.

REVERSIBLE BUCKET HAT: Two looks, one hat: pizza print on one side, checkerboard cool on the other.

CHECKERBOARD CREW SOCKS: Comfortable and stylish, adding a touch of flair to any outfit

PIZZA-SCENTED CANDLES: A sensory surprise, crafted to bring the savory smell of fresh pizza to life.

HAIR CLIPS: A playful accessory that adds a little flavor to any look.

CHECKERBOARD MATCH BOXES: A small but striking design that sparks nostalgia.

CUSTOM TISSUE PAPER: Branded down to the wrap–a diner-inspired pattern that ties it all together.

STICKER: A fun, small collectible detail that’s perfect for water bottles, laptops, or pizza boxes.

Part of a pepperoni pizza in a white box, with pizza boxes and promotional materials in the background.
A collection of pizza-themed items including a pizza slice keychain, a pizza slice container, and pizza-themed stickers and cards, all arranged on a plain background.
A pizza box with red and white design and illustrations of a cartoon chef and pizza slices. Various pizza-themed items including a small jar, a white bottle, a sticker, a yellow toy, and a checkered napkin are placed around the box.
A pepperoni pizza in a white cardboard box next to a red and white container and a yellow 'Make Pizza' brochure on white surface.

Branded Uber Eats gift cards were included in the kits that allowed recipients to directly engage with the campaign by ordering pizzas from Prince Street Pizza. Additional boxes were also utilized for a separate pizza-making class held at L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, with Whitestone providing photography used for Tastemade’s promotional materials.

A white pizza box labeled "Pizza Inser" with a cartoon character of a smiling pizza slice wearing sneakers, surrounded by red paper shreds on a white background.
The words "The Results" in bold red font on a white background.

Tastemade’s Pizza Week kits were a resounding success. The thoughtfully curated items and cohesive presentation not only captured the nostalgic spirit of a pizza diner but also encouraged organic social media buzz among influencers and participants. Recipients couldn’t resist sharing the fun and practical items, creating high engagement for Tastemade leading up to and during Pizza Week.

Partnering with Whitestone allowed Tastemade to deliver high-quality, creative kits on a tight timeline while managing last-minute additions seamlessly. The campaign showcased Whitestone’s ability to execute end-to-end solutions, from design and product sourcing to packaging and delivery. By combining creativity, efficiency, and attention to detail, Whitestone delivered a project that was as memorable as a slice of New York pizza.

Various pizza-themed items including stickers, pizza-shaped object, pizza box, and pizza recipe cards on a table.
A pizza in an open box, a white pizza box with a Pizza Week logo, a white cap with Pizza Week logo, a bottle of beer in a black koozie, small jars of tomato and chili sauce, a yellow pepper-shaped object, a brown and white checkered cloth, and various Pizza Week promotional items.