Marco’s Pizza: America’s favorite pizza. Wait, Who?

Marco’s Pizza had a David vs. Goliath moment. As the #5 pizza chain, it pulled off an unexpected flex by earning the title of America’s Favorite Pizza Chain in early 2025. But that win needed to crack open a bigger opportunity in a landscape cluttered with stale value messaging. The pizza category had flatlined, value deals were as uninspired as reheated crust, and Marco’s wasn’t top of mind for most consumers.

BarkleyOKRP didn’t just polish the trophy; they turned it into rocket fuel. Leaning all the way into underdog energy, the campaign flipped the narrative with a cheeky, celebratory tone. Instead of fitting in, Marco’s stood out as the unassuming champ you didn’t realize you were already rooting for, backed by a media plan that punched well above its weight.