Sometimes media coverage comes in the most unexpected ways. For Domino’s, it came when a family decided to have pizza delivered to the airport instead of having to pay for high-priced food from the airport food vendors. (Photos: Ali Van De Graaff/Instagram)
Let me tell you about an accidental PR win for a brand I’ve openly mocked.
It’s pizza. A very low-quality, floppy, sponge-like pizza.
One that actually doesn’t taste much better than the cardboard box it’s packaged in.
And yet — somehow — a customer’s Instagram post about this pizza delivered over 13 million views, a Fox News feature, and several other news stories.
That’s enough buzz to make any PR pro jealous.
Oh — the pizza brand? It’s Domino’s.
My Introduction to Domino’s Pizza
Growing up in a suburb of Milwaukee in the 1970s, we made our own pizza at our house.
I never heard of Domino’s pizza, even though it was established in 1960 across the lake from me in Michigan.
I was introduced to it after starting my university studies at BYU in Provo, Utah in 1983. Ordering Domino’s pizza was a quick, fairly cheap meal for college students.
And I confess — I did partake. Initially.
When you’re a starving student and want something quick and low budget, it worked.
My favorite toppings included sausage, pepperoni and onions.
But I quickly discovered another topping people loved that I’ve not seen before: pineapple.
I was incredulous.
Pineapple? On pizza? Mamma mia! Don’t you know pineapple is a fruit? Is this something people out west do?
From an Italian American’s point of view, it’s a blasphemous combination. In fact, no Italian in their right mind would ever eat a Domino’s pizza — no matter what the toppings were.
It didn’t take me long to get back in my right mind.
OK, that’s the rant portion of this week’s message. Now it’s time to deliver this unconventional PR story.
Pricey Airport Food: Thwarted
Airport food prices are highway robbery. That’s because you’re a captive airport audience and, unless you packed your own food, there’s nowhere to run. (Except for an ingenious hack one family figured out. More about that in a moment.)
Studies have found that airport prices commonly exceed street prices by 50 to 120 percent, with some items marked up even further. A simple bagel and a small drink? That’ll be $11.50 — more than double what you’d pay normally.
At LaGuardia, one report said a beer was selling for $27. At Newark — ranked among the worst airports in America for food quality — the average meal costs more than $23, despite 70 percent of restaurants pulling sub-three-star ratings.
Airport food vendors know you’re a captive audience. Limited competition, sky-high rents and complicated logistics mean those prices aren’t coming down anytime soon. Members of Congress were concerned enough that in May 2025 they asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate concession prices at airports and stadiums.
So far — crickets (another pizza topping?).
Enter Ali Van De Graaff, an Oregon mom traveling with her husband and four kids (two sets of twins) — and her husband’s genius idea.
The Story
Stranded at Medford-Jackson County Airport in Oregon during a flight delay, they did what any resourceful parent would do: had Domino’s delivered to the airport. Not inside the airport — to the curb.
Her husband called in the order, left the kids with their bags, exited security, picked up the pizza from the delivery driver, and walked the family’s dinner back through the TSA PreCheck line. Smooth as carry-on luggage.
One TSA employee commented, “That’s so smart.”
The flight attendant on their plane said she’d never seen anything like it. Domino’s fan pages celebrated. Critical fellow passengers justifiably complained about the smell in the confined cabin space of the plane.
Van De Graaff was unbothered. “I’m feeding my kids. I’m doing what I’ve got to do,” she said.
And she’s not wrong. For context, feeding her family slices of airport pizza had cost her around $80 on a previous trip. Domino’s was a fraction of that.
Domino’s Response
Domino’s joined the story by responding on social media with this slice of humor: “It’s plane delicious.”
I’ll give Domino’s credit — it’s clever. It’s quick. And it was quoted in the news. Pat that social media manager on the back. And in a news cycle where brands routinely say nothing interesting, Domino’s leaned into the moment with a pun and a smile.
But let’s be honest — “plane delicious”?! Domino’s and delicious don’t belong in the same thought, IMHO.
At least in my book.
What Businesses Can Learn Here
This story is a masterclass in earned media — the kind you can’t buy. Domino’s didn’t orchestrate this. They didn’t pitch it. A real customer in a frustrating situation made a creative decision that happened to put their brand in the best possible light.
This was pure, organically authentic media coverage.
Van De Graaff didn’t set out to do Domino’s PR. She set out to feed her family without going broke. That’s a story people connect with because it’s true.
And truth tends to travel further than spin.
But what did Domino’s do to thank this family for this PR? They should at least give them a free pizza order monthly for a year. Maybe they did thank the family in one way or another. But I couldn’t find anything online confirming that. A missed PR opportunity on Domino’s part.
3 Big Takeaways
- Earned media beats paid media. Domino’s got millions of impressions from a customer video they had nothing to do with. Authenticity from real people is more persuasive than any ad campaign.
- A quick, clever response. “Plane delicious” was a fun, witty and pithy response that did a great job of contributing to the novelty of this story.
- Thank your customers when they provide great PR. When a customer tells a positive, genuine story about your brand, immediately reward them for doing so. That can further enhance your reputation and gain additional media coverage.
What would you do if your company received unexpected media coverage? Do share!
Stay authentic — and please… never offer me a slice of pizza with pineapple.
Jeffery E. Pizzino, APR (seen here in a vintage photo circa 1983 serendipitously doing a Clash impersonation in a since-forgotten location) is a spin-free public relations pro who is passionate about telling the why of your story with clarity, impact and authenticity. He began his PR career in 1987 at Ketchum Public Relations in New York City but has spent the majority of his career as a solopreneur. He’s the Chief Authentic Officer of the Johnson City, TN-based public relations firm, AuthenticityPR. He also functions as the fractional CCO for his clients.
Jeff has an MBA in Management from Western International University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications — with an emphasis in PR — from Brigham Young University (rise and shout!). He’s also accredited in public relations (APR). This Milwaukee, Wisconsin native holds an Italian citizenship and plans to live and work there someday. Jeff and his storyteller wife Leticia have four children and four grandchildren. In his extremely limited nonwork hours, he studies Italiano, practices guitar, write songs, gardens, works out, disc golfs, reads, listens to New Wave music, serves as an assistant communication director in his church, watches BYU football, enjoys watching the original Mission Impossible TV series, and plays board games (mostly Dominion and Seven Wonders). No, this guy’s never bored and looking for something to do. Email Jeff.
