Congress first recognized Pi Day in 2009. Since then, brands everywhere have found ways to make the most out of this mathematical holiday. Pizza places and pie shops are, naturally, reaping in the benefits of this unofficial holiday but hundreds of other organizations and influencers have taken to social media with their Pi Day messages and promotions.
Interest in the holiday is booming and all it takes is a simple #PiDay hashtag search on Twitter to see the impact it has had on brands and pie lovers around the globe. Some recent standouts are these tweets from Tasty, Halo Top Ice Cream, LFC USA, Target, the CIA, General Electric, and National Geographic.
This year’s 30th annual Pi Day is tinged with sadness due to the loss of beloved scientist Stephen Hawking, but it hasn’t deterred brands from inserting themselves into the equation with all varieties of pi themed promotions, campaigns, games, and offerings.
Below are 10 standout brands that have expertly incorporated pi into their marketing strategies
Waitress the Musical on Broadway invited fans to celebrate Pi Day with them at their New York box office location from 10AM to 1PM and get a free mini pie with their ticket purchase
Walmart took to their social media channels and invited fans to check out their pie personality post where pie lovers could see what their favorite pie says about them. At the bottom of the page, links to pie making products pop up with discounts and rollback prices.
released their fifth annual “Pi in the Sky” Illustrated Math Challenge featuring pi related problems that math pros can complete at home. All of the challenge questions are real problems that NASA scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory solve using pi. Whole Foods is offering $3.14 off large bakery pies today, while supplies last. The grocery store also released a post featuring five lesser-known pie recipes.
Whole Foods is offering $3.14 off large bakery pies today, while supplies last. The grocery store also released a post featuring five lesser-known pie recipes.
For the third straight year, &Pizza is hosting free weddings today. They are turning four of their locations (New York City, Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia) into pop-up wedding chapels. The couples were chosen in advance and will get a free complete wedding including pizza, photography, champagne, and of course, the venue. &Pizza has stated that around a dozen weddings will be held today.
At 7 AM today, Edwards Desserts took to Facebook and Instagram and started a Pi Day Giveaway. The frozen pie brand is currently offering up a free pie to 100 fans who comment their favorite pie on either post. Once the post reaches 314 comments, winners will be chosen. Bonus chances are given to users who type in their pie of choice at 3:14 in any time zone.
Google's Pi Day Doodle features a salted caramel apple pie created by Cronut creator and famed pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Google also released a video featuring the chef that takes viewers behind the scenes of the pie-making process. Check out the mouth watering video below
The above organizations, and dozens of others, are working hard to elevate Pi Day beyond just a quirky holiday. It’s quickly growing into a massive marketing event and a major sales day. Your organization doesn’t have to go to such extreme lengths for the holiday. Hopping on the Pi Day train with a simple post is a way to get visibility and have fun.
