Pizza Inn took a shot at Bambi—yes, that Bambi—in a limited-time pizza offering touted on social media, and the backlash was swift.
The promotion, which appeared on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, features a graphic depicting Bambi, that sweet, innocent fawn with a tragic background, along with other animals not appearing in the classic Disney film, including a wild pig and a hulking elk. In a word balloon, Bambi states, quite forthrightly, “We taste delicious.”
Called Bambi & Friends, the pizza is topped with venison, boar and elk sausage. It’s unclear whether the specialty pizza is available at all Pizza Inn locations, and it’s not currently featured on the brand’s website. The chain’s seasonal menu item, a Thanksgiving-themed pizza called The Gobbler (turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and a cranberry drizzle) takes center stage at the top of the site.
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If Pizza Inn, headquartered in The Colony, Texas, was aiming for a little controversy on social media, the chain hit the bullseye. Reaction was mixed, with many Facebook followers condemning the whole concept of a Bambi-themed pizza. One follower commented, “Could have picked a better name & left Bambi off it. No way would my kids try that when they were little because they’d think of the movie.”
One follower simply commented, “That’s terrible,” while another warned he was “going to stay away [from Pizza Inn] for a long time now!!”
Not every Pizza Inn devotee was repulsed by the idea, though. Some were positively salivating over the prospect of Bambi as a pizza topping. One commenter wrote, “Awesome. I can’t wait to try it!! Even more reason to support Pizza Inn!!” And someone else gave the pizza itself a hearty endorsement: “Its real and its actually good tasting. Good flavor.” Finally, another wrote, “oh god here comes PETA!”
Reaction was equally mixed to the Bambi & Friends post on Instagram, with many commenters expressing their disappointment in the famous pizza brand, while others looked to be hungry for a deer-meat feast. One lamented, “It’s almost like you are trying to flush the rest of your company down the toilet on purpose.”
Pizza Inn isn’t exactly an edgy brand, so the Bambi & Friends pizza seems like an unusual marketing move, and some backlash was surely expected. But it is timely—Disney has been earning media coverage lately for its planned live-action remake of Bambi. Deadline has reported that Oscar winner Sarah Polley is in talks to direct the film, which will feature music from Kacey Musgraves.
