Pizza Hut's New Logo

Pizza Hut has rebranded, including a new name and logo.

In an attempt to resonate with those pesky "leetspeaking" Millennial/Gen Y folks, and to expand the menu to include such delivery delights as hot wings and pasta, they've shortened the name of the company from "Pizza Hut" to "The Hut."

I'm going to do you the favor of skipping right over all my snark-filled references to Jabba the Hutt, or wondering if the Long John Silver's chain will rebrand itself as "The John."

Instead, I'm going straight to why it's wrong.

First thing, I know what Pizza Hut sells. It sells pizza. What does a hut sell? I'm thinking fruity drinks on a remote beach...

And, given that a hut is "a small or humble dwelling of simple construction, esp. one made of natural materials, as of logs or grass", why would I want to buy pizza, wings, or pasta from one?

I get it that it's a nickname. Lots of companies have successfully dropped the formal name in favor of a nick:

• Federal Express --> FedEx
• General Motors --> GM
• Kentucky Fried Chicken --> KFC

But there's a difference! In each of those cases, the public was referring to the company by its nick before the change was officially made.

Trying to force a nick onto a public won't work, even if the new roof on the new logo looks like a nipple. Just sayin'.

And that's practical marketing.