17274: On Papa Johns + Leo Name Game.

Advertising Age reported Papa Johns named Leo Chicago as its new White advertising agency.

 

So, a pizza chain still bearing the name of a founder no longer associated with the enterprise will be serviced by a White advertising agency that underwent a 2025 name update further separating the firm from its founder.

 

It’s a who’s who of who the fuck are you?

 

It also seems like a perfect spokesman opportunity for Pope Leo.

 

Papa Johns hires Leo Chicago as new creative agency

 

By Erika Wheless and Ewan Larkin

 

Papa Johns has hired Leo Chicago as its new creative agency as one of the nation’s largest pizza chains looks to bolster its marketing and overcome a sales slump.

 

The brand confirmed in early October it had initiated a creative agency review and had parted ways with The Martin Agency, which had held the account since late 2023. The former IPG shop is now part of Omnicom.

 

Joanne Davis Consulting supported the pitch. Dentsu’s Carat will continue to handle Papa Johns’ media buying.

 

The win adds another major food brand to Publicis Groupe-owned Leo’s roster. Leo New York won Subway in April and Coffee mate in September.

 

The change comes under Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Bromberg, who joined the chain in November 2024.

 

“Papa Johns is a challenger brand founded on quality, craft and pride in our product. A brand partner who can help us channel that spirit is essential,” Bromberg said in a statement. “The team at Leo Chicago brings a deep understanding of what makes Papa Johns distinct. Their insights-driven creative, cultural fluency and deep QSR expertise will help us power a modern marketing engine.”

 

The agency change comes as Papa Johns looks to become a bigger national player; it finished 2024 as the fourth-largest U.S. pizza chain by sales. But it has been stuck in a sales slump of late, with North American comparable sales down 3% in the third quarter ended Sept. 28. Comparable sales were up just 1% in the second quarter.

 

Domino’s has outperformed most of the pizza competition this year. Its U.S. same-store sales were up 5.2% in the third quarter.

 

Pizza Hut reported that its U.S. same-store sales were down 6% during the same period. Yum Brands is exploring “strategic options” for Pizza Hut, including a potential sale of the brand.

17210: Papa Johns Seeks Better Ingredients & Better Advertising. Again.

 

Advertising Age reported Papa Johns launched a review to find its new White advertising agency.

 

Then again, an extra accurate statement would read, “its next White advertising agency,” as the pizza chain regularly delivers more RFPs than, well, pizzas—or NDAs.

 

The company PR declared, “Papa Johns is currently inviting a select number of creative agencies to participate in a pitch as we lean into bold, culture-forward marketing that transforms how people see Papa Johns nationally while accelerating our local marketing efforts.”

 

Papa Johns regularly delivers bullshit too.

 

Papa Johns begins creative agency review

 

By Erika Wheless

 

Papa Johns has launched a creative agency review as the chain looks to reassert itself in the pizza category. It is parting ways with incumbent The Martin Agency, which has held the account since late 2023.

 

“Papa Johns is currently inviting a select number of creative agencies to participate in a pitch as we lean into bold, culture-forward marketing that transforms how people see Papa Johns nationally while accelerating our local marketing efforts,” Papa Johns shared in a statement to Ad Age.

 

Papa Johns declined to share what agencies are participating or if it is using a consultant, saying, “to protect the integrity of work that may be shared, the details of this process will be kept confidential.”

 

Jerry Hoak, chief creative officer of The Martin Agency, in a statement to Ad Age, said: “Last quarter, our Meet the Makers campaign was credited on the earnings call for helping deliver strong Q2 results. Today we’re unfortunately saying goodbye to a brand we love. Sometimes that’s business. We wish Papa Johns and their next agency well.”

 

The review comes 11 months after Jenna Bromberg joined Papa Johns as chief marketing officer. Bromberg has been focusing on bolstering the brand’s efforts around social media and creators, as well as limited-edition product drops for rewards members, such as a croissant-crust pizza.

 

Papa Johns’ recent “Meet the Makers” campaign from Martin focused on the chain’s back-of-house employees.

 

“Meet the Makers” was a shift from Papa Johns’ “Better Get You Some” campaign, also from Martin, that ran last year and did not perform well. During an analyst day last December, shortly after she joined the brand, Bromberg signaled that she was not pleased with the “Better Get You Some” work.

 

“The execution and timing didn’t resonate as we’d hoped. We got out of position on value,” Bromberg said then. But she seemed to be happier with the “Meet the Makers” work.

 

“When I came in, we got the ‘Meet the Makers’ brief going and boy did they rise to the occasion,” Bromberg told Ad Age this summer. “They did a beautiful job and they’ve been great partners for us.”

 

However, Papa Johns has only seen modest improvement in same-store sales. The brand reported that North America comparable sales were up 1% in the second quarter ended June 29. Its comparable sales were down 3% in the first quarter.

 

Papa Johns is the nation’s third-largest pizza chain, behind Domino’s and Pizza Hut. Domino’s reported that its U.S. same-store sales rose 3.4% in the second quarter, while Pizza Hut reported that its U.S. same-store sales were down 5% during the same period. Pizza Hut is currently updating its logo.

16468: The Martin Agency Delivers Performative PR By The Slice.

Advertising Age reported The Martin Agency hired its first Director of Sustainability, whose last name, appropriately enough, is White. The trade publication also reported The Martin Agency was named Papa Johns’ new White advertising agency.

 

Only in Adland can a firm feign interest in sustainability while partnering with a junk food client that pollutes the environment with pizza boxes and other greasy refuse.

 

Plus, the Papa Johns account review reportedly had a targeted focus on DEI—so, it looks like The Martin Agency conned Shaquille Shaq-a-Roni O’Neal into believing that they were diverse too. Probably claimed having ties to the Martin show.

 

What’s next? Are they gonna appoint Joe Alexander as creative director for the account—who’ll reinstate John Schnatter as brand mascot?

 

Damn, the place serves up performative PR like it’s pizza.

 

16358: Will Papa Johns Account Review Be An All-Star Pizza Party?

 

AgencySpy posted on Papa Johns launching a review of its White marketing agencies, reportedly with a targeted focus on DEI. Papa Johns CMO Mark Shambura said, “We are looking for partners who will develop breakthrough strategy and creative work, are collaborative with each other, bring a multicultural perspective, and are representative of the communities we speak to.” That definitely means there are no plans to ever reintroduce John Schnatter. But given the DEI angle, maybe Majority—the shop co-founded by Papa Johns spokesperson, board member, and franchisee Shaquille O’Neal—has a shot.

 

Papa Johns Puts National Marketing Agencies in Review

 

By Kyle O’Brien

 

Papa John’s International, Inc. will issue a review of its national marketing agencies. The review is aimed at accelerating the brand’s analytics-led approach to marketing and consolidate and optimize its partners moving forward, according to a release.

 

The statement stated that Papa Johns is prioritizing potential partners in media and creative that can continue to help establish the superiority of its pizzas and share common brand values, including a targeted focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.

 

Papa Johns had been working with Havas agency Camp + King starting in 2019, and with Havas Media since 2018.

 

Chief marketing officer Mark Shambura, who has been with the brand since May, will lead the agency review process as part of his oversight of advertising, media and field activation, menu strategy, product innovation and digital customer experience for Papa John’s.

 

“We express gratitude to our current agency teams for their partnership and the impactful work we have produced together in the past five years,” said Shambura in a statement. “As we look beyond a post-Covid world, both Papa Johns and the landscape we operate in have shifted significantly.”

 

Shambura went on to say that Papa Johns has evolved as a company, and its marketing efforts need to innovate to meet the needs of the company as well as changing consumer habits.

 

“We are taking the opportunity to reassess our partnerships and embrace new perspectives and expertise that will set us up for the next three-to-five-years. We are looking for partners who will develop breakthrough strategy and creative work, are collaborative with each other, bring a multicultural perspective, and are representative of the communities we speak to,” added Shambura.

 

Papa John’s also hired Jaclyn Ruelle, formerly svp, managing director of cultural impact and brand communications at The Martin Agency, as its vp head of brand in September of last year. Prior to Martin, Ruelle was at MullenLowe U.S. for nearly nine years.

 

The agency search will begin this month and will include select, invited agencies to participate. Pile and Company will handle the review.

 

Papa Johns has continued its transformation following the ouster of founder and former chairman John Schnatter in 2018 due to his use of a racial slur.

15960: Papa Johns Spot Among The Worst In The World.

 

The latest Papa Johns campaign from Atomic London shows Planet Chorizo, where people sport branded fronts. How on earth does shit like this get produced? The bizarro world of John Schnatter is a preferable place to visit.

 

 

15608: Papa’s Got A Brand New Logo.

 

Advertising Age reported Papa John’s updated its logo and restaurant design. Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were erased—yet John Schnatter lives on…? Does he receive royalties for using his name?

15558: Papa John’s Is A Soul Man…?

 

Papa John’s in the UK is hyping its latest marketing move as follows:

 

Packed with full flavour that make your soul sing, Papa John’s new fresh soul range is here to serve up the good times for one and all. Cue the music.

 

Somebody cue John Schnatter for color commentary…

 

15420: Ben’s Unoriginal Erasure Commences…

 

Advertising Age reported on the latest erasure of culturally clueless critters, as Uncle Ben’s officially transitions to Ben’s Original. Gee, this must be how John Schnatter feels about being stripped of mascot status at Papa John’s. That is, the name remains, but all visual evidence of a human persona is gone. Incidentally, Ben was arguably more human than Schnatter. Ironically, both characters served as company leaders—and ultimately vanished amid charges of racism.

 

Ben’s Original, Previously Uncle Ben’s, Rolls Out First Packaging Under New Name

 

The new packs will begin appearing on shelves this week

 

By Ilyse Liffreing

 

In September, Uncle Ben’s announced it was changing its name to Ben’s Original and dropped the image of a Black man from its packaging in an effort to detach itself from offensive stereotypes amid the ongoing racial-justice reckoning in America.

 

Now, the Mars Food brand is releasing the new packaging, which will begin appearing on store shelves in the U.S. this week and will roll out to other countries gradually.

 

Mars is working with retailers to change out the packaging, but the current rice product will not be removed from store shelves. That means customers will see the new version alongside the old until the previous product sells out.

 

The new packaging keeps the colors of the original intact so consumers can identify the rice with the brand’s familiar orange background and navy blue font. The Ben’s Original brand mark is a derivative of Cooper Black and what the brand calls a “modernized version of the previous brand mark.” Photos of the rice take up the majority of the box or pouch. The rice itself remains unchanged.

 

Originally, Ben’s Original told Ad Age it planned to create “equitable iconography” as part of its rebrand, but says “after careful consideration, including listening to thousands of consumers, associates and customers, we believe the decision to not add new iconography is the best path forward at this stage of our evolution.”

 

The brand plans to include its new packaging in future ad campaigns and current social media and digital posts. Ben’s Originals worked with Energy BBDO, Jones Knowles Ritchie, The&Partnership, MediaCom and Weber Shandwick on the redesign.

 

Before becoming Ben’s Original, the brand, which originated in 1946, had been named after a Black Texan farmer known as Uncle Ben. The man in the image was Frank Brown, a Chicago chef and waiter. Over time, the brand’s images became interpreted as promoting racist stereotypes of Black servants. A Mars Food spokesperson previously told Ad Age that it doesn’t know if a real Ben “ever existed.”

 

Over the past year, several food brands have removed monikers and images with racist associations. PepsiCo’s Aunt Jemima rebranded as Pearl Milling Company and B&G Foods’ Cream of Wheat said it will remove the Black chef from its packaging.

 

“Today is a big moment for Ben’s Original,” said Denis Yarotskiy, regional president at Mars Food North America. “Getting to this point on our brand evolution journey has been the result of our continuing commitment to listen to consumers, as well as the support and dedication of our Mars Food Associates. But it is just another marker on our journey. We recognize we have much more work to do as we bring our new brand purpose to life to offer everyone a seat at the table; we remain committed to delivering this ambition.”

 

When Ben’s Original first announced its packaging overhaul in September, it also said it would invest $2.5 million in Greenville, Mississippi, where the 75-year-old brand has produced its rice for U.S. customers for the past 40 years; along with beginning community outreach programs and introducing “Seat at the Table” $25,000 scholarships in partnership with the National Urban League and United Negro College Fund for students pursuing culinary arts or food science degrees.

 

With the rollout of the new packaging, Ben’s Original announced its investment in Greenville will last for the next five years, with the money going towards students in the area and helping provide access to fresh food.

 

For the scholarships, the brand says the first round of recipients will be announced at the end of the summer, and new rounds are planned for the next four years. Ben’s Original is also opening up the scholarships to Black high school seniors for a variety of post-high school education prospects.

 

“Ben’s Original is not just a name and packaging change—we believe everyone deserves to feel welcome, heard and have access to nutritious food,” said Rafael Narvaez, global chief marketing officer and research and development officer at Mars Food in a statement. “That’s why we’ve committed to taking actions based on insights from thousands of consumers, as well as our own associates, designed to enhance inclusion and equity in service of our new brand purpose to create meals, experiences and opportunities that offer everyone a seat at the table.”

15342: Back Again With Unpopular Demands—Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter.

 

Look who’s back between Black History Month and Women’s History Month—Papa John’s pariah and pain-in-the-ass John Schnatter. Advertising Age reported Schnatter is still waging a legal battle against White advertising agency Laundry Service, claiming there’s a recorded conversation featuring Laundry Service executives conspiring to damage Schnatter’s reputation. If true, it would not only validate Laundry Service’s nastiness, but their stupidity as well. After all, Schnatter is more than capable of fucking up his image without professional plotting.

 

Papa John’s Founder Alleges Former Laundry Service CEO Is Caught On Tape Conspiring To Send Him ‘Out To Pasture’

 

The legal battle between the ex-pizza chain chairman and its former agency heats up as newly unsealed documents released

 

By Jessica Wohl

 

Newly unsealed court documents outline allegations made by John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John’s, that leadership at creative agency Laundry Service including former CEO Jason Stein conspired to do further harm to his reputation following the May 2018 call in which Schnatter allegedly said the n-word.

 

Schnatter left his role as Papa John’s chairman and was wiped from marketing materials for the chain soon after a Forbes report in July 2018 alleged he used the racial slur during a media training call with Laundry Service in May 2018.

 

In 2019, Schnatter sued Laundry Service and its parent company, Wasserman Media Group. Then, in December 2020, he claimed he had a recording of Laundry Service executives “plotting to damage” his reputation.

 

An amended complaint filed by Schnatter, Papa John’s former chairman and CEO, was recently ordered to be unsealed by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The complaint alleges that Jason Stein, then-CEO of Laundry Service, and others were speaking after a call with Schnatter.

 

Those internal discussions were recorded, according to Schnatter’s complaint.

 

“Laundry Service immediately began to discuss how Mr. Schnatter’s statements on the call could be used against him to damage his image so ‘he gets fucking sent out to pasture on this shit’ (in Stein’s words),” the complaint reads.

 

It goes on to say that Laundry Service’s employees came up with a plan to arrange for Schnatter “to have an hourlong live interview with a hostile media personality and prompt Mr. Schnatter to make damaging statements which need ‘to be viral,’” the complaint reads.

 

Laundry Service and Wasserman declined to comment. A representative for Mr. Stein, who is no longer with the agency, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The conversation was taped by a witness in the litigation, according to Schnatter, who released the unsealed document and a statement on Wednesday.

 

“The chilling details from this taped conversation make clear the intent of Laundry Service to destroy my reputation, as well as the Papa John’s brand, harming our employees and franchisees in the process,” Schnatter said in the statement.

 

According to Schnatter’s statement, a former Laundry Service employee present for the discussions testified “this did not seem part of the efforts to maintain — to help John’s reputation to do the job that we were paid for to help … [this seemed like] the opposite of helping John.” And, according to Schnatter’s statement, the employee reported the issue to Laundry Service’s HR department, providing the recording, and was told to delete it.

 

Schnatter has been trying to restore his reputation after it was damaged due to the Forbes report and subsequent media attention. He has said in the past, and noted in the complaint, that he was speaking out against racism and that he was criticizing someone else’s use of the racial slur when he said it during the May 2018 training call.

 

In December, Schnatter publicized a report from former FBI Director Louis Freeh which found no credible evidence of racially insensitive words or actions by Schnatter.

 

“With this and the evidence coming forth in our litigation, it’s time for Laundry Service to be held accountable, and for Papa John’s to correct the record and apologize to me for validating the media frenzy that led to my forced departure as the company Chairman,” Schnatter said in his statement Wednesday.