Overcoming Challenges: Dodo Pizza's Journey to Create a 'Love Is' Campaign

TL;DR

Dodo Pizza collaborated with InAppStory to launch a gamified digital campaign inspired by the “Love Is” brand. The initiative included a postcard generator game with personalized messages and illustrations. Despite facing branding, copyright, and production challenges, the fully digital campaign attracted 2.5M+ users, drove 15.9% open conversion, and generated 761,000+ greeting cards — all without additional ad spend.

Why Did Dodo Pizza Launch the “Love Is” Campaign?

Dodo Pizza is known for its tech-forward approach and deep control over the entire customer journey from app experience to delivery. With a strong focus on its proprietary mobile platform, Dodo’s marketing team continuously explores new ways to engage users directly in the app.

As part of its year-round campaign strategy, Dodo sought to create an emotionally resonant experience that could also drive business outcomes. Inspired by the nostalgic “Love Is” brand, the team envisioned a campaign that would blend storytelling, personalization, and gamification.

What Was the Original Idea, and Why Was It Challenging?

Initially, Dodo planned to launch a physical campaign in partnership with the “Love Is” brand. The concept included co-branded gum with custom inserts and Dodo-themed love notes.

However, logistical hurdles including coordination with the gum factory in Turkey and tight seasonal deadlines made production unfeasible. At the same time, aligning two iconic brands without compromising either was complex and sensitive.

How Did the Team Pivot the Concept Digitally?

To preserve the emotional essence of the original idea, Dodo turned to InAppStory for a digital-first alternative. The result was a campaign centered on personalized digital postcards, fully designed, distributed, and interacted with inside the Dodo app.

Instead of producing physical inserts, InAppStory collaborated with the “Love Is” illustrator to create custom artwork based on real user stories. The team selected eight heartfelt submissions and transformed them into digital postcard templates.

What Role Did Gamification Play?

Beyond visual content, Dodo wanted the campaign to spark virality. Together with InAppStory’s product and creative teams, they built a gamified postcard generator.

Users could choose a recipient, enter their name, and select their relationship. The system then generated a personalized digital card that could be downloaded or shared engaging both the sender and the receiver.

Though the original idea included a full design tool, time constraints led the team to simplify the mechanic. Even so, the final experience was playful, viral, and emotionally sticky.

What Made the Campaign Work?

1. The idea tapped into nostalgia and user creativity
2. All components were native to the app:no redirects or pop-ups
3. The format created value for both active users and recipients
4. Content creation was user-driven, increasing emotional investment
5. Distribution was organic, fueled by personal sharing
6. This balance of storytelling, personalization, and play helped the campaign scale without relying on paid promotion.

Business Results

The "Love Is" campaign outperformed all expectations, breaking records in popularity. It was recognized as one of the best campaigns among its competitors. The campaign demonstrated that meaningful, emotional connections with customers could lead to valuable brand engagement that extends beyond immediate sales.

The key metrics realized were impressive, given the obstacles faced during the development of the campaign. Dodo Pizza achieved vast visibility of 2,517,066 users, which shows that the campaign reached a large audience. The number of participants was 400,085, which indicates that a significant portion of those reached took the time to engage with the content. These numbers attest to the resonance and effectiveness of the campaign in capturing customer attention.

Even more impressive was the conversion rate at the opening, which stood at 15.9%. This rate is an indication that the campaign not only attracted attention but was effective in converting that attention into tangible customer interaction. It demonstrates that a significant percentage of those who opened the story were intrigued enough to take the next step in the customer journey, further interacting with the brand.

The virtual postcard generator game, a unique offering by InAppStory, proved to be a success, with 320,162 users generating a total of 761,611 cards throughout the campaign period. This innovative solution showcased how InAppStory leverages the power of gamification to enhance user engagement, encouraging active participation in creating personalized greeting cards.

What You Can Learn from This Case

• Use story-driven mechanics to add emotion and shareability to your campaign
• Personalization + gamification can scale organically, no paid ads required
• Repurpose nostalgic themes in mobile-native formats to boost user relevance
• Deliver fully interactive experiences inside the app to maximize retention
• Partner with creative tech teams to pivot fast when original plans stall

The success of the campaign also demonstrates the power of nativeness - seamless integration into the existing user interface that allowed for a more fluid user experience. This is one of the key advantages of InAppStory's solution, as it ensures customers interact with the brand in a way that feels natural and intuitive, rather than intrusive or disconnected. For a broader view of how food tech apps are shaping customer engagement strategies, the Food Tech Industry Insights Report offers valuable insights.

Want to implement Stories and achieve quick business results like Dodo Pizza? Book a meeting today!