Watch: Saucy TV advert sparks massive business boom for Staffordshire takeaway firm

Foodhub, an online takeaway ordering app, was founded in 2017 by friends Ardian Mula and Mohammed Shakil.

The business launched its first TV advert in December 2023 and since then Foodhub has seen a positive 10 per cent upswing of orders, with the company’s social channels also reaping the rewards of the risqué marketing campaign.

Combining the nation’s favourite takeaway dishes with raunchy shots, the advert portrays actors making cheeky innuendos relating to fast food favourites, whilst giving the audience a taste of Foodhub’s takeaway offerings.

The production pits a man in a bathtub, tape measure in hand, questioning whether a pizza should be “10 inches or 12”, a female actor boasting about how “big” the choice is.

The advert goes on to promise the viewer “a night to remember”, encouraging them with a cheeky “you know you want to”.

Ardian Mula, Foodhub CEO, said: “Marketing our business in this manner was a risk, but we wanted something a little different to the norm. This was our first TV advert, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Working with Norwich-based JMS-Group, the advert has been a great success.

Putting £35,000 towards production, while investing a further £165,000 per month for three months on Sky, the ROI has been significant for the brand.

The advert divided opinion amongst employees at the Stoke-on-Trent-based business.

CEO Ardian himself was initially unsure, with a number of staff stating they might struggle to show the advert to their families.

And it wasn’t just within the business that the advert got people hot under the collar.

Since airing on all Sky channels, the advert has attracted 53 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, which have all since been overturned.

Despite the risqué nature of the advert, the decision to go ahead has had a huge positive impact on the firm.

Not only has it seen tangible results in terms of sales and app downloads, but Foodhub has taken one step closer to challenging the heavyweights of the online takeaway industry.

Off the back of the advert’s success, the firm has pledged to continue pushing marketing boundaries to capitalise on its new audience, with its second ad airing for the first time last month.

Ardian said: “We’re thrilled with the success of the advert, and despite being unsure at the beginning, the combined team effort that has gone into the creation of our risqué advert has led to fantastic results, and a boost to the team spirit.

“Once the advert was first broadcast, the morale boost at our Stoke-on-Trent headquarters was clear to see. The team were ecstatic to see Foodhub on TV, and this has allowed us to claim the sought after tag of ‘as seen on TV’.

“As a business, we’re not afraid to take risks, we want to be bold and daring in our goal of a takeaway company from Stoke-on-Trent taking on the big fish of the industry, so that’s what we did.

"Ultimately, the advert has delivered exceptional results for the business, so we’re already looking at what comes next.”