Domino's 'Ennui Monday': Antidote to failed 'Premium Fridays'

Domino’s has offered up a witty response to Japan’s ‘Premium Friday’, a government initiative that began last week. The pizza company is presenting ‘Ennui Monday’ as a fillip for the many people it anticipates will not be able to leave work early on Friday afternoons as the government hopes they will.

The sales campaign, which started yesterday, offers discounts on selected products on the Mondays following Premium Fridays, which fall on the last Friday of every month.

Tomonobu Tominaga, head of marketing for Domino’s in Japan, said the company has not decided how long the campaign will run—just as long as Premium Friday remains a buzzworthy topic.

“We thought almost all companies are likely to launch initiatives on Fridays, so launching something on another day can call big attention,” he said. The idea appears to have been well received. Domino’s points to more than 10,000 related tweets and claims to have cornered 95 percent share-of-voice in the pizza sector.

Premium Friday is controversial. The government has positioned it as a move to raise work-life balance, but many in Japan see it more as a ploy to drive consumption that will have low uptake due to the unfeasibility of simply skipping work on Friday afternoons.

Campaign's view: A great example of a brand thinking on its feet. Of course, the effectiveness will only be proven in sales, but it's a commendable effort to attach a brand to topical events in a relevant yet lighthearted way.