NEW YORK – In celebration of its 55th anniversary, Pizza Hut launched a 10-day promotion yesterday, selling a large, one-topping pizza for $5.55, USA Today reports.

The offer applies to carryout orders and extends to June 15. All 6,300 Pizza Hut locations in the United States will offer the promotion. A large, one-topping pizza typically costs about $11.

The promotion comes at a time when rival Little Caesars has been offering a $5 Hot n’ Ready pizza at a time when pizza sales tend to slow.

"We believe it's the most aggressive offer of the year in the pizza industry," said Doug Terfehr, a Pizza Hut spokesman. "It's the new age of the flash deal." 

One PR professional said the offer is about trying to stimulate sales for a company whose business has been mostly flat this year. "For Pizza Hut, it's a value play disguised as a company milestone," said Derek Farley, president of DFPR. "Consumers could care less about the anniversary, but they will act on the promotion because of the price." 

The $5-ish price-point is key, as it taps into the popular $5 Footlong (Subway) audience as well as offers by its pizza chain rivals (Little Caesars, Cici’s Pizza Buffets).

"If the consumer needs something that gives them permission to experiment with a brand, $5 is the magic number," Farley said. "It is consistently the threshold that reinforces the idea of a deal." 

Pizza Hut hopes consumers also purchase a few sides and beverages. "That's when $5 becomes $12, and the company wins.”