Watch This Business Owner Risk Arrest to Get His Product Into the Hands of a 'Celebrity' When in Rome, er, Naples ...
By Jason Fell
Here at Entrepreneur, one of the topics we write about fairly often is how business owners can get their products into the hands of celebrities and other influencers. It's not always easy and can often cost a significant amount of money and time.
For one Italian business owner, however, nothing was going to stand in his way of reaching one particular "celebrity." Literally.
Not long ago, the Pope said in an interview that the one thing he misses most since taking his post as pontiff is being able to go out and grab a slice of pizza "without being recognized." When Enzo Cacialli heard that Roman Catholic leader Pope Francis was making a visit to Naples, Italy, this week, he devised a plan.
Related: Put Authenticity Into Your Celebrity Endorsements
Cacialli, co-owner of Pizzeria Don Ernesto, made a pie topped with yellow cherry tomatoes and the words "Il Papa" spelled out in dough. Instead of sending it the 2-1/2-hour drive by delivery to Vatican City, Cacialli jumped at the opportunity, pushing through the crowd and hopping a barrier as the Pope's motorcade approached. Cacialli calmly walked up to the Popemobile and hand-delivered the pizza himself.
The video below shows Pope Francis reaching down and accepting the pizza.
Cacialli is lucky he didn't get arrested by the police who were guarding the procession.
"It's really hard for me to understand what I managed to do," Cacialli told CNN. "Giving a pizza you made with your own hands to the Pope is very emotional. It's really hard for me to express the value of this gesture for a man we really love and value, for a beautiful person full of humanity."
No word yet from the Pope's official Twitter feed whether the pie was any good. Either way, score one for a fearless business owner and priceless marketing.
Related: 6 Tips for Scoring Celebrity Content for Your Website
