Ottawa

At last the pizza through the TV set

Our columnist is proud to report that the future has finally arrived

Back in 1994, I wrote the first editorial for the Globe and Mail trying to explain this “Internet” thing (or as it was known then, the Information Superhighway) to befuddled readers. “What is the Internet?” it began. “Is it, as Dave Barry says, like CB radio, only with typing?” (Which, come to think of it, is not far wrong.)

Anyway, in the course of my research I kept coming across the same example of the Internet’s alleged wonders, the same cribbed illustration of the fabulous new era we were about to enter.

“You’ll be able to order a pizza,” it ran, “through your TV set.”

As technological revolutions go, I should say, this left me somewhat cold. What did my TV set, with its ready signal and friendly, 13-number dial, have to do with the Internet, which required detailed knowledge of a forest of secret computer codes (PPP, TCP/IP, etc.) and a willingness to sit through 45 seconds of earsplitting modem chatter just so you could get a blank screen. And how exactly was this an advance over, say, the phone? When you can deliver a pizza through my TV set, I found myself saying, then I’ll be impressed.

Nevertheless, there it was, a shimmering golden vision, beckoning us toward a future of limitless pizza-visual convenience….

So it is a pleasure to report that, a decade and a half later, the future has finally showed up:

TV has never tasted this good. That’s because TiVo Inc., the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVRs), and Domino’s Pizza, Inc., the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, have teamed up to give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets using the TiVo® service. It’s a service that cooks up the perfect pizza purchasing recipe.

“Our commitment to customer satisfaction is what has helped us become the leader in the global pizza delivery market,” said Rob Weisberg, vice president of precision and print marketing at Domino’s Pizza, Inc. “We are confident that teaming with TiVo on this novel, easy, and convenient way to order pizza right from the TV will be very well received by our customers… This is the first time in history that the ‘on-demand’ generation will be able to fully experience couch commerce by ordering pizza directly through their television set. You’ll see a television ad for Domino’s and you’ll click ‘I want it’ through your remote. In about 30 minutes, your pizza will show up at your door.”

Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales, TiVo Inc said, “Joining forces with Domino’s Pizza creates an effective marketing and commerce tool for Domino’s while enhancing and further distinguishing TiVo as the ultimate way to watch TV with a closed-loop advertising experience… With just a few clicks of the remote, TiVo users can pause their program, order a pizza, and then sit back, relax, and return to their favorite show without missing a single second. Now, TiVo delivers the absolute best television viewing experience…and a pizza.”

And look, it’s Just So Convenient:

TiVo subscribers can seamlessly access their Domino’s Pizza order from various advertising entry points on the TiVo user interface including Gold Star Sponsorship, Program Placement, Interactive Tags in live TV spots, and through Music, Photos, Products, & More by clicking on “Order Your Dominos Pizza Now…”

TiVo subscribers can set-up a user name and password on Dominos.com so that each time they use their TiVo remote to place an order, they can log-in with a simple account number. Alternatively, TiVo subscribers can enter their delivery address, build their pizza order right from the television set by selecting type of crust, toppings, and sauces, and get the pizza delivered by their local Domino’s Pizza.

Or, they could just pick up the phone.

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