Pizza PR with Biga Bite: 3 Things I Learned Photographing a 10-Foot Long Pizza in Times Square
Biga Bite pizza chef Giovanni Barbieri holding the 10ft pizza.
I’ve had my share of wild and unique gigs photographing events in NYC, but this one takes the cake (or pizza pie?)
The objective for this branding photoshoot was a little outside of the box: create paparazzi-style photos of Gio, the owner of the viral Lower East Side pizza shop, Biga Bite, while he carried a 10-foot long pizza through Times Square on a packed Friday Night.
Sounds like a New Yorker's worst nightmare, but for me as a professional photographer in NYC, I live for unique experiences to create photos like this.
So, off to 42nd Street we went with a 10-foot long pepperoni pizza and camera in hand, not totally sure how this would pan out given how unpredictable Times Square can be!
Despite the humidity and the crowds on this hot June evening, we had an amazing time, created some iconic content for Biga Bite’s 158k followers on Instagram, and fed a bunch of hungry tourists.
I even came away with a few lessons learned…
Calm Through Chaos is Key
Navigating through a massive sea of people, dodging selfie sticks and people in Elmo costumes, I knew that in order to do my best work, I had to shut out all the distractions and stay in the moment. Focus is absolutely everything when working in chaotic environments like this.
Simple is Best
In the world of photography and marketing, sometimes simple setup = big impact. Even without a giant production team or budget, we still created some epic content that went viral on the Biga Bite page. All we had to do was march a 10-foot long pizza through the middle of Times Square and the buzz generated itself.
(ok, maybe that doesn’t sound so simple, ha!)
Maybe Times Square Ain’t So Bad
I really expected people would try to snatch a slice off our giant pizza board, but Times Square surprised me with a touch of politeness!
Thousands of people strolled by, and not a single soul attempted to snag a piece without asking first. Maybe I should have a little more faith in the public!
And yes, at the end of our photoshoot, we gave all the pizza away for free.
While you may not be in the business of giant pizzas, rest assured that we can still infuse your brand with a touch of magic and create imagery that leaves a lasting impression.
Get in touch and let’s help you generate some buzz of your own! Start the convo here.