Papa John's new campaign puts the founder to the test of "real" employees – Adweek



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Papa John's is trying to regain control of its brand in the first campaign of the new Endeavor Global Marketing registration agency, since John Schnatter, its founder and long-time leader, has been removed from marketing materials.

The campaign, titled "Voices", is a tribute to "real" people – franchise owners, restaurant managers, drivers, etc. – which is the backbone of the fast food chain.

That means everyone except Schnatter, who has been very hesitant to step back from the company he founded in 1984. Although he gave up his role as president in July Schnatter has since publicly declared that his decision was a mistake and even launched a website saying "I am Papa John", to reach the employees and talk about "the truth" of his departure (he accused the keyword of the call of the month of May and later try to extort Papa John's for $ 6 million, all refused by the shop.

Meanwhile, employees of Papa John's new ad seem quite satisfied without him.

At the front of the 60-second mark, staff members, such as Kiersten Bates, a Detroit-area general store manager, lost both parents in six months and relied on Papa John's family. There is also the director of operations in El Paso, Texas, and the director of brand and quality in Moscow, all cited as the "real faces and voices of our pizza box".

Additional profiles of individual employees, such as Alaura Harper, a franchise owner and pizza enthusiast, are posted on the company's "stories" webpage. The page also encourages the company's efforts to "do better together", such as its diversity and inclusion initiatives.

"We are delighted to highlight the many voices that speak for our company," Papa John said in a statement on the page. "Just like the best ingredients. Better Pizza., Our staff is the key ingredient of a better business. These are the people who own and operate our restaurants in your communities. They are your drivers, your store managers, the people who make the food you serve to your family and friends. It's time to tell their stories.

The company continued, "Moving forward, you will continue to see and hear those who make up our family. Diversity and inclusion must and will be at the heart of everything we do. It's more than an initiative, it's a company-wide effort to celebrate our values. … As we continue to "do better", we will strengthen this spirit of unity where all individuals are respected, welcomed and celebrated as their true identity within our walls and in the communities we serve.

The new spot was directed by Ramaa Mosley, the writer and director of the Afghan segment of "Girl Rising", a 2013 documentary highlighting the horrors that girls around the world are undergoing to get an education.

The big question ahead is whether this campaign can actually reach the hearts of consumers. Last month, Papa John accused Schnatter of declining 6.1% like-for-like sales in North America in the second quarter of 2018, but the company's problems seem to go further than an arrogant founder.

After the controversy over Schnatter hit the headlines, Forbes published a longer article revealing a "toxic culture" in the company's management team. Bozoma Saint John, who was named marketing director this summer, said she will hold Papa John CEO Steve Ritchie accountable for his commitment to improving the company.

Saint John has already told Adweek that Papa John's would not publish "an apology advertising campaign".

"It must be cultural and deeply moving … Papa John's 120,000 employees are not defined by a single individual," she said. "As an EGM, how can we not only create a new story based on a value proposition, but pass on what is really inside Papa John's?

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