In case you don’t know, the text above reads, “No one outpizzas the hut”, the classic tagline for Pizza Hut, in fake Russian text.

And you’re probably wondering, why?

Well, Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) was the final leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 to its fall in 1991. There’s lots of stuff to be said about his leadership in office, but one notable thing is that he starred in a Pizza Hut commercial. Yes. Really. It was filmed in late 1997 in Red Square and a Pizza Hut in Moscow, and premiered in early 1998 internationally (except for Russia).

In the commercial, two men who are part of a family dining in a Pizza Hut argue about Gorbachev’s legacy, until an older lady pipes up and says that Gorbachev apparently gave them Pizza Hut. The ad ends with everyone at the Piza Hut chanting, “Hail to Gorbachev!” as it rings out around Red Square. Gorbachev’s appearance, though legitimate, is quick; he is seen only at the beginning and ends.

A Pizza Hut did indeed open in Moscow in 1990, due to Gorbachev’s perestroika policies. The reason WHY Gorbachev appeared in the ad was because he was having some financial issues–after all, desperate times call for desperate measures! Gorbachev was paid around US$1M (close to US$2M in 2024). The money was used for a non-profit organization called the Gorbachev Foundation, which is more or less a presidential library for the Perestroika period.

It premiered in the US on January 1st, during the Rose Bowl, but did not premiere in Russia because Gorbachev was criticized. 12-ish years or so after the ad, it became a viral video, being covered by magazines like Time, Thrillist, and the Russian magazine Snob (I assume that means something different in Russian).

Today, the ad remains one of the weirdest examples of celebrity endorsements ever, and despite its random nature, it still remains controversial. If you want, you can watch it here.

I suppose it won’t be long before Putin endorses a brand-new Burger King in Moscow!