Domino’s ad campaign admits its old pizza was pretty bad

For a pizza joint, it’s a bold move to tell customers your crust tasted like cardboard and your sauce was like ketchup.

But that’s just what Domino’s Pizza Inc. has been saying since last month in untraditional ads about the recipes it abandoned when it launched its reformulated pizza. Using a documentary style, the TV ads offer glimpses of focus groups where customers said Domino’s pies were even worse than microwave pizza and “totally void of flavor.”

“It takes alpha meat balls to stand up and say, ‘America, we suck,’ ” comedian Stephen Colbert said on his show.

The new pie means customers who preferred the “old” Domino’s are now left in the cold, experts said.

Executives said the chain decided to start overhauling its recipe about 18 months ago after mounting criticism from focus groups and on social media sites. Often considered a leader for customer loyalty, Domino’s has scored painfully low on its pizza’s taste.