Pizza Hut and cyclist Remko Evenpoel: “Obviously it’s better to associate with a sportsman than someone who weighs 400 kilos”

He’s been seeing life in rainbow colors for less than a year. This Sunday, Remko Evenpoel challenges his title of road cycling world champion in Glasgow, Scotland. For five years, the little elf from Brabant hasn’t stopped surprising fans of the little queen, from feat to feat. Some are already comparing him to cannibal Eddy Merckx. Its popularity has reached far beyond the borders of our country. Which also attracts the interest of the biggest international brands.

Like footballer Kevin De Bruyne extolling the virtues of McDonald’s hamburgers on the small screen, it was another of the fast food chains that caught Remco. In March 2021, the cyclist became the face of Pizza Hut. A choice “a preference against nature” that took the middle by surprise. “Some people wondered what Remco was going to do with the fast food chain”recalls Pierre Van Steenberg, founder of the Lead Agency. One may ask the question whether finance has taken over morality. So I don’t think Remko Evenpoel gets away with pizza every week. Otherwise it won’t go as fast.”

A Ramco “100% Vegetarian” Pizza

But like Kevin De Bruyne and his McDonald’s hamburger, this choice is unlikely to harm the young champion’s image. “They are above it, they are very famous. People follow him for his performances, so associating with a fast food chain isn’t really dramatic for him.Mr. Van Steenberge insists. By default, only the big brands of this type can match the prices asked by these athletes’ agents. The Belgian eco-responsible company could never afford a name like Kevin De Bruyne.

On the other hand, for Pizza Hut, which just launched a “100% vegetarian” Ramco Pizza, the marriage can only be beneficial, according to our expert. “Obviously it is better to associate with an athlete than someone who weighs 400 kilos. It’s the opposite of the junk food problem.”

Athlete Tia Hellebaut or the football club of Bruges: Pizza Hut is not on its first tryst with athletes. “By collaborating with top athletes, we try to show that it’s still possible to have fun once in a while while following a strict diet”, justifies the company managed by Topbrands in Belgium. According to data provided by specialist Oxypress, the “deal” is already a winner for Pizza Hut, with 14% of its total visibility over the past two years being related to the relationship with the cyclist, where Remco’s only 0.26%. is associated with a fast food restaurant chain. Another advantage: Perfectly bilingual, Remco is also popular in the south and north of the country, where Pizza Hut suffers from a decided lack of visibility on the French-speaking side, according to data provided by Oxypress.