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Cygnus Appointed as Creative Agency for PizzaExpress’ ‘ExpressFest ‘26’ Summer Campaign




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Leading independent creative company, Cygnus (cygnus.co.uk), announced today they have been appointed to create and deliver this year’s PizzaExpress summer campaign: ExpressFest ‘26.

PizzaExpress, the nation’s most iconic pizza brand, appointed Cygnus to lead the positioning and creative development of the brand’s summer campaign, working in collaboration with the internal Brand team and digital agency Jaywing, to bring to life the campaign in an unapologetically PizzaExpress way. 

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With a brief to turn restaurants nationwide into the ultimate destination for spontaneous summer get-togethers celebrating great food, music and togetherness, Cygnus created ‘ExpressFest ‘26’. Bringing the spirit of the festival to PizzaExpress restaurants across the country, the summer-long celebration gives pizza and music fans the chance to enjoy the things they love about festival season – discovering something new, spending time together and making the most of long summer days closer to home.

Toby Bryan, Director of Growth at Cygnus, said, “The PizzaExpress brief was an incredible opportunity for our agency, and they are a great team to work with. Any team you get to work with that's open to creative challenge and looking to do something brave is a dream for any agency. The fact it's a brand that means something to so many is the ultimate.”

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Lou Jones, Marketing Director at PizzaExpress, said, “The power of bringing Cygnus and our brilliant internal teams together to create ExpressFest ’26, has resulted in a vibrant campaign for our restaurants. This, combined with our delicious new summer pizza, the Chipotle Corn Palooza, makes our restaurants the only destination you need on your list this summer.” 

PizzaExpress is rooted in a rich musical heritage, with multiple music venues, known as PizzaExpress Live, across London. PizzaExpress has long championed the perfect pairing of great food and great entertainment and this legacy provides a natural foundation for the brand's new festival-themed summer campaign, translating main-stage energy of its live venues into a celebration of music and shared summer experiences. The campaign can be seen live in restaurants, OOH, platform aggregators, CRM, and social. 

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About Pizza Express

  • At PizzaExpress, a pizza doesn’t mean just dinnertime, it means showtime. 

  • We make every moment matter for all our pizza fans – no matter how big, or small through our Piccolo menu. We are known for three things. The original maker of ‘proper pizza’ in the UK, our distinctive black and white uniform stripes and our delicious Dough Balls. 

  • Today, PizzaExpress has nearly 360 pizzerias in the UK, remodelling restaurants at pace, alongside opening new & relocated pizzerias offering the icons our pizza fans know and love including Dough Balls, American Hot and the Sloppy Giuseppe, as well as vegan or gluten-free options, and lighter pasta and salad dishes. 

  • We are proudly an omnichannel brand, offering dine-in, dine out (including via our owned delivery platform) and have an extensive retail business, where we are present within 4,000 supermarkets and hold the title as the number one chilled pizza brand (featuring both original and iconic classics), number one salad dressing and the number one pizza dough proposition too. 

  • We expanded into new concepts and formats and in 2024, opening at London Gatwick Airport and launching a pizza pod in the carpark of a Tesco Extra in Southampton. It’s through these various channels that we can uniquely reach customers with great pizza, wherever and however they want to enjoy it. 

  • Globally, we have owned operations in Hong Kong and the UAE, as well as franchise operations across Asia, Middle East and Europe. We have 110 international and franchise sites, with a target of reaching 1000 restaurants globally (including the UK) by 2030. 

  • PizzaExpress’ digital transformation continues at pace – with over 4 million customers now in the PizzaExpress Club – retaining its position as an industry leading loyalty scheme. Customers earn treats on the house every time they dine, from free children’s meals for loyal members to Dough Balls just for signing up. 

  • Learn more about PizzaExpress including the story of how Peter Boizot founded the brand in Soho in 1965 at https://www.pizzaexpress.com/about-us.

About Cygnus

  • Cygnus is an award-winning, leading creative company specialising in brand strategy, design, and digital marketing. 

  • With a commitment to bold ideas and transformative storytelling, Cygnus helps brands stand out in a sea of sameness, making brands comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Media Contact: Sophie Bayliss, Growth Exec - [email protected]

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