Little Caesar's Pizza Now Hiring More "Hot-n-Ready" Dancers
Dance, Pizza Man, Dance! Play that Pepperoni Pizza Guitar!
But I blame myself a little bit, too. After all, I don't watch commercials on TV (thank you, TiVo!), and I have ad-blocking programs installed on my computer, and I don't pay much attention to billboards when I'm driving on the highway. Advertising geniuses had to find a way to reach people like me. So they resurrected the classic person-holding-a-giant-sign-on-the-sidewalk bit, and, by golly, they did get my attention!
The Little Caesar's Pizza shops in my area have jumped on the "live sign-holders" bandwagon...a bit too enthusiastically. Little Caesar must be proud of his teenage employees dancing on the corner of Quivira and Shawnee Mission Parkway, assaulting me with their "$5 Hot-n-Ready Pepperoni Pizza" signs every time I drive past. When I say "dancing," I mean booty-shaking, arm-waving, head-banging DANCING!
Occasionally, a person dressed in a plush Little Caesar costume stands on the corner, waving. That's fine as long as it's not too warm outside (it must get hot behind that enormous nose and toga). I can't see the costumed Little Caesar's employee's face, and he probably can't see me rolling my eyes at him as I speed past-and that's the way I like it. The plush Little Caesar costume must be expensive to clean, though, because the employees don't get to wear it very often.
Instead of a nice, warm, identity-concealing costume, the Little Caesar's employees in Johnson County, Kansas, are sent outside without a mask, with some truly ridiculous pizza-advertising props. That "$5 Hot-n-Ready" sign is downright boring compared to the pepperoni pizza guitar-a cardboard sign with a picture of a pizza, cut into the shape of an electric guitar. The Little Caesar's employee straps on his pepperoni pizza guitar (yes, it has a shoulder strap!) and stands on the corner "strumming" (there aren't any real strings) and rocking out. I've seen that kid out there playing his pepperoni pizza guitar at least five times. And every time, I pray that it will be the last time.
So I've tolerated the bobbing "$5 Hot-n-Ready" signs and the gyrating, uniform-khaki-clad butts and the kid with his Little Caesar's cap turned backwards, going Eddie Van Halen on that ridiculous cardboard pizza guitar. I've even supported my local Little Caesar's Pizza shop. For $8, I can get a large "Hot-n-Ready" cheese pizza, "Crazy Bread," and dipping sauce, and that's usually enough to feed my whole family. Yum! What a deal!
If the managers of Little Caesar's had simply drawn the line at that stupid pepperoni pizza guitar, I wouldn't be writing this article right now. But yesterday, the Little Caesar's Pizza shop in Olathe, Kansas, introduced me to a new form of torture-by-pizza-advertising.
My husband and I were on our way to eat lunch after church when we spotted the orange monstrosity on the corner of Santa Fe and Mur-Len. A grown man dressed in a bright orange snowsuit was standing in a snowdrift, holding a big, round Little Caesar's sign-a cardboard sign designed to look like a giant basketball.
"Oh no," my husband and I sighed. We didn't want to stare at the guy, but we were stopped at the red light and couldn't help it. You know how it is.
Then the man in the bright orange snowsuit started dribbling his giant "basketball." Boing, boing, boing, boing! The damn basketball sign was attached to an elastic string, which was looped around the guy's gloved hand.
It was 25 degrees in Olathe yesterday! What a fantastic day to send Ronny out in his orange snowsuit to bounce his Little Caesar's Pizza basketball like a freakin' Harlem Globetrotter!
I don't know what to do. I like Little Caesar's cheese pizza and I LOVE Little Caesar's "Crazy Bread," but I hate supporting a company that demeans its employees. I hope that someone who works at Little Caesar's will read this and tell me that I'm wrong-that no one is ever sent outside to advertise on the street corner against his/her will, that the employees who dare to show their faces while they're bustin' a move and brandishing "$5 Hot-n-Ready" signs get paid a little extra. A LOT extra if they have to pretend to play a pepperoni pizza guitar or bounce a pretend pizza basketball.
Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! is Crazy! Crazy!, just like their breadsticks! Maybe this explains why that "Now Hiring" sign is a permanent fixture in the window of my local Little Caesar's Pizza shop.
Published by Maria Roth
I love popcorn, cashews, cheesecake, Jane Austen, my husband and children, and Conan O'Brien. Why should you be jealous of me? I am double-jointed in both thumbs, I live in Kansas, I'm tall, and I'm modest... View profile
- Shopping for Christmas Decorations in the Kmart of Hazleton, PAShopping for Christmas decorations in The Kmart in Hazleton, PA is very enjoyable. The Kmart is an anchor store in the Laurel Mall.
- Top 10 Products Made in DetroitDetroit and the surrounding area is home to many of the nation's and Michigan's favorite products
- Little Caesars: Is the Hot-N-Ready Pizza Really a Deal?Is a $5 pizza really a deal? And how much does both price and service factor into it?
- Big Chain Restaurants Are Ruining AmericaA look into how big restaurants are ruining the American dream.
- Owning a Little Caesar's FranchiseSome of the things you must do if you are a Little Caesar's franchise owner; owners do not always get to stand back and watch. They must help out sometimes!
- Pizza in Arkansas - Review of Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's and Domino's
- The Day Advertising Died
- Little Caesars Has More to Offer
- Pizza Hut Versus Pizza Ranch Pizza
- Uno Chicago Grill Deep-Dish Pizza Vs Little Caesars Deep-Dish Pizza
- 1-800-In-A-City: Travel Phone Directory Assistance by Micro Group, Inc.
- Little Caesar's Pizza : You'll Get Your Money's Worth
- Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! is Crazy! Crazy!, just like their breadsticks!
- Not another form of torture-by-pizza-advertising!
- I wish I didn't like Little Caesar's cheese pizza and "Crazy Bread" so much...
40 Comments
Post a CommentI dont work for little caesars but i do work for a company and I work strictly as a sign holder. They allow us to take breaks, have water, and come in if it's raining. And fyi, not all signholders are dumb. Some just want to have an honest job. It's not really embarassing when it brings a smile to people's faces. Ive heard from other sign holders and they all make better than minimum wage. I'm 16 years old, in 10th grade, and have a 4.07 gpa. No, I don't plan on doing it my whole life but it pays gas.
Wow, Maria... you're sure to become a PV Millionaire with this one: ) P.S. We have these dancing sign people in California, too, only it's usually warm here, and they're wearing bikinis. Just kidding, of course ; )My favorite is actually the guys who dress up as pickles for the Mr. Pickles sandwich chain. Just thinking... these days if you went to a psychiatrist and told him you just saw a dancing pickle, you might not even come out with any meds.
In the UK they just exploit Eastern Europeans... In fact there was a case when a big pizza concern in the UK allegedly charged the Eastern Europeans to hire a van, and then they'd get commission on what they sold, but they had to reach a certain target. So most were paying just to use the van! And you wonder why big companies get to be so big!
Or give me the finger, now all I get are smiles, waves or looks of astonishment or surprise. and occasionally some even drive by and hand me a few bucks :D I think its a Great job if you strive to be active and do something out of the ordinary. It makes me feel good to know that if anything I may have brightened up someones day a bit. Peace, from Illinois ;)
know whats crazy? I used to live in Olathe, Graduated from Olathe North. I live in Pekin, Illinois currently. I know about the signholders your talking about, and they are awesome. But know whats crazy? I used to work at the other little caesars in Olathe. know whats even MORE crazy? when I moved over here to Illinois and needed a job, I had experience with little caesars and went to the local one looking for a job. I got one, As a Sign holder here. in the beginning things were very rough. it was grueling when it was hot, and very boring. I soon bought myself an mp3 player and started being a bit more active, though it was still pretty boring. But in my boredom I started playing around and spinning the sign around in my hands Now I'm somewhat of a local celebrity, because I have become more of a performer than just advertisement. where some signholders do funny things to attract attention. I have developed more advanced tricks that I do, and I love it. where people used to yell at me o
Loved the story. You are hysterical.
I see you brought employees out of the woodwork on this one. I get the $5 pizza at Irving Park Road (Chicago) and eat half before working out at the 6-corners Bally's.
thanks thats nice that I make ur kids laugh
It's nice to hear from an actual sign guy, and it sounds like you enjoy what you do. I'm sorry you have to deal with so many rude people. I wasn't trying to put you down--I just really and truly wish your managers didn't send you outside to advertise in the first place, especially when the weather is bad...especially if passersby are mistreating you. But if you like what you're doing, and are getting paid decently, then that makes me feel a lot better. You DO make my kids laugh, Mr. Sign Guy! :)
I am the best sign guy in the shawnee ks area and it doesent matter rain or snow and even hot weather will stop me from playing my guitar at little caesars and sign guys should be treated better by the people I love my job but people that moon me and flip me off need to grow up and get a life people that live in shawnee love me because I make them happy when they had a bad day at work kids love me because I am just like the I like to be a kid sometimes and brake lose and I dont lission to rock music when I am playing I lission to country music u should not judge a guy from were he works even if its being a signguy we dont judge u were u work now do we I am a nice guy if u wont to get to now me but when u put down my guitar I take offenceseve to it because I work for no one but the people of shawnee and my new born son and my soon to be wife.