Papa John’s takes a different direction with new marketing campaign

By Sarah Fischer

Papa John’s pizza franchise has become a popular topic after sudden talk about altering its iconic logo.

Not only may they modify the overall font of their emblem, they plan to omit the apostrophe in Papa John’s as well. The change may seem insignificant to those unfamiliar with the franchise’s history, but to many, it’s monumental. With this alteration, the brand will no longer be possessive to one person, but rather plural.

Since May 2018, the brand has faced backlash, resulting from news of former CEO John Schnatter stating a racial slur during a conference call. According to CNBC, a franchisee stated that many of their stores took major hits in sales following the incident. Papa John’s has now recently begun rebuilding its prestige through new marketing techniques by including stories of those franchisees and many more individuals..

The company released its newest campaign on Sept. 18, including a commercial featuring several Papa John’s franchise operators and owners. This new marketing strategy may be the company’s best chance to emerge from beneath the shadow that’s been cast on it.

When John Schnatter resigned his position as CEO in July 2018, he also ceased to appear as the spokesperson in commercials for the brand. Although changing the name altogether would prove to be an expensive and damaging choice for the company, this recent marketing campaign is the beginning of a new direction.

The Papa John’s website boasts its excitement to “highlight the many voices that speak for our company,” inferring that they will not let the loss of their primary spokesperson hold the business back from continuing to promote diversity and progression.

The decision to potentially change the famed logo seems to be a direct reflection of how seriously Papa John’s is taking its new campaign, and it’s apparent the company is wasting no time trying to reconstruct its reputation after months of ridicule.

According to AdAge, after they spoke with a trademark attorney about the potential logo change, we may not see the full adjustments until next year. It seems it will happen just in time as Papa John’s celebrates 35 years of operation in October 2019.