Papa Johns Surveillance-Based Advertising

Papa Johns is now using Instacart purchase data to predict when you're running low on groceries. Working with NBC Universal and media agency Carat, they track what you buy—eggs, milk, meat, produce—to determine exactly when you'll be out. Then they serve targeted ads asking 'Light on groceries?' or 'Empty fridge?' during streaming content. According to Bruce Schneier, the strategists behind it describe this as reaching hungry consumers 'without being too creepy'—a characterization that rather proves the point. Pizza chains have achieved the implausible: they know your refrigerator inventory better than you do.

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