Pizza Hut^® Demonstrates The Fun In New Cheesy Bites Pizza With Ads Starring Jessica Simpson And The Muppets

DALLAS (Jan. 31, 2006) – The upcoming Pizza Hut Big Game Day ad will have heads boppin', feet stompin' and its new Cheesy Bites Pizza poppin' into mouths across the country. Jessica Simpson helps kick off the company's new Cheesy Bites Pizza product launch with a 30-second commercial featuring a new version of the song "These Boots Were Made For Walkin" remade to be "These Bites Were Made For Poppin'."

The commercial is a parody of Simpson's latest role in The Dukes of Hazzard movie as Daisy Duke and her corresponding music video. The scene opens in a Pizza Hut restaurant with a teenage boy having dinner with his family and placing an order for the new Cheesy Bites Pizza. To the boy's surprise, Jessica Simpson is his server. Adding even more humor, in the second ad, scheduled to run during the eight-week product campaign, the young boy returns with his friends expecting Jessica Simpson to bring his Cheesy Bites Pizza again, but instead, his restaurant server is Miss Piggy dressed exactly like Jessica Simpson.

"This Cheesy Bites Pizza is fun so we've had fun with the ads too," said Tom James, chief marketing officer, Pizza Hut. "And Jessica's song is a great centerpiece to the entire campaign. It's definitely going to be a commercial to remember."

Pizza Hut is also launching a national online sweepstakes giving away an autographed pair of boots from the new Jessica Simpson line, the same style that Simpson wore on the set of the commercial. Fans will be able to go online to www.pizzahut.com/cheesybites to enter the sweepstakes, starting Feb. 5. Customers will also have an opportunity to win an autographed pair of Miss Piggy boots online, starting Feb. 26.

The Big Game spot launches another innovative product from the world's largest pizza restaurant company that is an easy pop-it-in-your-mouth cheese bite and a satisfying pizza all-in-one. Twenty-eight cheese-filled bites form the perimeter of the large Cheese Bites Pizza to give customers pullable, poppable, cheese bites that add a new dimension of flavor and fun to what is already a finger-food favorite.

This is also the fifth consecutive year that Pizza Hut has used the big game as a venue to launch a new product. "Pizza Hut always goes big for the Big Game with a new product launch," James continues. "We know that pizza is a great food for sharing and this special Sunday is no exception. We launch new products just in time for the Big Game to please families and football fans alike."

National product advertising for the Cheesy Bites Pizza consists of print and television ads. Print ads began Jan. 22 and television product spots began airing Jan. 29. The new spot featuring Jessica Simpson will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 5, during the pre-kickoff timeframe, giving families time to make their food decision and call in their orders before the action begins.

"Airing our commercial prior to the game means we're communicating to consumers at the time that they're making their purchasing decision," said James.

Pizza Hut will support the Cheesy Bites Pizza national introduction with an estimated $50 million integrated marketing campaign consisting of national print, network and cable television advertising, public relations, direct mail, in-restaurant promotions and this year, an interactive online activity. The activity enables customers to click on each of the 28 cheesy bites to remix the song "These Bites Were Made For Poppin'." The online activity can be accessed at www.pizzahut.com/cheesybites.

The large, one-topping Cheesy Bites Pizza is available for a limited time at participating Pizza Hut restaurants for dine-in, carry-out or delivery where available for $11.99.

The product and celebrity commercials were created by New York-based BBDO, under the direction of Janet Lyons, executive vice president, senior creative director from BBDO and director, Steve Chase.

About Pizza Hut
As the world's largest pizza restaurant company with almost 6,600 restaurants in the United States and more than 4,000 restaurants in 100 other countries, Pizza Hut, Inc., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) has been the place families have gathered for 48 years. The company's legacy of leadership and innovation has made it the recognized leader in the $37 billion pizza category. Those hungry for more information can go to the official Pizza Hut Website at www.pizzahut.com

Contact:
Tina Young
MarketWave for Pizza Hut
(972) 661-0331