Domino’s Pizza puts negative customer commentary front and center in its new “Pizza Turnaround” marketing campaign. The TV commercials feature clips of focus group participant commentary on the pizza’s quality: “bland,” “boring,” “bad,” “the worst imitation of wheat crust,” and the list goes on. The CEO of Domino’s and a variety of Domino’s “employees” address the harsh feedback, turning the product’s negative perception into a challenge, and The Pizza Turnaround campaign is born. It’s an honest and bold marketing approach that may just help the 50-year-old brand defend its status as leading pizza delivery company in the U.S.

Pizza Turnaround promises customers an improved dining and delivery experience, with a reinvented sauce recipe, better dough quality, and fresher ingredients. It also promise a full refund if you’re not satisfied. Add that to the $5.99 promotional price for 2 medium, 2-topping pizzas, and Domino’s makes it easier to give the product a second chance. The TV commercial spot contains some hokey lines like, “We’ve put 40% more herbs and seasoning in our sauce,” but overall, Pizza Turnaround was an intrepid step.

The campaign is fully integrated into the brand’s Facebook page and Twitter account, and the Pizza Turnaround landing page features the full-length campaign documentary. Video links to Stephen Colbert Report’s “rip” on the campaign and #newpizza Twitter trending topic (he named Domino’s his Alpha Dog of the Week) and to the CBS Morning Show “Pizza for Breakfast” review.

Domino’s encourages customers to engage in the conversation, and the feedback ranges from cheers: “Tried the new Domino’s Pizza yesterday…Remarkable Improvement” to jeers: “We tried the new pizza last night. Grade: C-.” The company plays an active role in the social media campaign by engaging in the negative and positive commentary. Whether or not the product is truly improved is a matter of personal preference, but Pizza Turnaround succeeded in placing the company into the social media stratosphere.