A bizarre television commercial from 1999, created to promote Pizza Hut's tie-in with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, has resurfaced online, leaving internet users utterly perplexed by its strange narrative twist.
The Millennium Marketing Blitz
Cast your mind back to 1999. The world was anxiously awaiting the Y2K 'Millennium Bug', Westlife dominated the airwaves, and hype for the first new Star Wars film in 16 years had reached a fever pitch. The marketing machine for The Phantom Menace was in overdrive, with countless brands securing merchandising deals.
One such partner was the international pizza chain Pizza Hut, which offered exclusive toys and cups featuring characters from George Lucas's prequel. To promote the offer, a series of television adverts were produced, including one US spot that has since gained a reputation for its utterly surreal conclusion.
A Queen's Strange Request
The commercial focuses on a young girl who is completely obsessed with Queen Amidala, the regal character played by Natalie Portman, who later becomes the mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. The girl is seen repeatedly role-playing as the Queen, answering the phone, applying makeup, and even addressing her dog in character.
Her role-play culminates in the declaration: "Queen Amidala wishes to go to Pizza Hut." The scene then cuts to the restaurant, where the girl tells her mother, "The Queen loves pizza." What follows next is the moment that has cemented the advert's place in internet lore.
The Mother of All Plot Twists
In response to her daughter's fantasy, the mother delivers a deadpan reality check. "You know honey, make-believe is fun and wonderful, but you gotta realise that you're not Queen Amidala," she says, before adding the killer line: "I am."
Her face then morphs—via the kind of pre-2000s special effects that were cutting-edge at the time—into the stark, white-painted visage of Queen Amidala herself. The iconic Star Wars theme swells as the stunned daughter looks on, before the advert cuts to showcase the available Pizza Hut merchandise.
Internet Reacts to Retro Bafflement
The clip was recently shared on Instagram by user @phantommenace1999, a page dedicated to nostalgia for the Star Wars prequels. The poster warned followers: "I promise nothing will prepare you for the end of this commercial. Still shocks me every time I watch."
Viewers were quick to express their bewilderment. One commented on the unexpected narrative turn, writing, "I wasn’t ready for that plot twist." Another admitted, "I cannot explain how funny this is, like that’s gonna be in my mind forever." Others questioned the advert's connection to pizza, with one user asking, "What does this even gotta do with pizza?"
The resurgence of this odd piece of late-90s marketing serves as a vivid reminder of the era's unique advertising landscape, where high-concept—and often deeply strange—narratives were deployed to sell everything from soft drinks to fast food, all riding the colossal wave of Star Wars mania.
