When Packaging Becomes Strategy: Pitfire’s 8th Box Art Edition

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This year’s edition features UAE-based multidisciplinary artist Fatspatrol (Fathima Mohiuddin), whose work spans street art, murals, and public installations worldwide. 

Her design, inspired by Pitfire’s “unofficial mascot” Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, fuses vintage rock poster aesthetics with bold typography and a fiery centerpiece that signals passion, creativity, and community—the same traits Pitfire wants baked into its identity.

Speaking on her design, Fatspatrol said: “...The fire became the heart of the design because it can mean so many things: passion, creativity, strength, or simply hot pizza. My aim was to create something original and a little rebellious, a design that feels alive and sparks joy the moment you see it.”

Launched in 2017 by co-founder Michele Johnson, the Box Art Program has grown into a hallmark of Pitfire’s marketing playbook.

“Each year, we look for artists who can capture the essence of who we are as a brand and what this city represents.”

It was also a way to connect the brand’s playful DNA with Dubai’s creative scene. As each year, Pitfire hands over its packaging to a local artist, giving them full freedom to reimagine the pizza box. “It carries our pizza into people’s homes, but we also wanted it to carry a story,” Johnson explained. “For us, the box has never been just packaging; it has always been a canvas.”

Since its inception, the program has become a recognizable part of Pitfire’s brand identity, making the humble cardboard box a collectible in its own right—one that simultaneously supports local creatives and reinforces the brand’s reputation for originality. Fatspatrol’s edition pushes that further. It gives customers a piece of design that feels collectible.

“My aim was to create something original and a little rebellious, a design that feels alive and sparks joy the moment you see it,” Fatspatrol added. 

Pitfire has effectively managed to blend art patronage with everyday brand culture.

In an F&B market crowded with sameness, Pitfire’s packaging-led strategy doubles as a differentiator. It makes the brand stand out by simply turning  into a curated showcase of local talent. And this is is how a humble box can become a media that travels across homes, offices, and social feeds, carrying the brand as far as the pizza itself.