A Super Bowl without Papa John? Pizza chain says it may not buy an ad for the NFL's big game

Grace Schneider
Courier Journal
"Papa" John Schnatter

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that marketing director Brandon Rhoten was working for Wendy's a year ago.

Papa John’s scored in the cutthroat competition between pizza makers seven years ago when it became the “official pizza sponsor” of the NFL and the Super Bowl, the biggest pizza sales event of the year.

But the Louisville company, which replaced founder John Schnatter as CEO late last month following a series of controversies, isn't even sure it wants to buy an advertising slot for the Super Bowl.  If it doesn't, it will be the second year in a row the company has passed on securing an "in game" spot. If it does, it's still unclear whether Schnatter would be featured in the ad. 

Schnatter has been the most recognizable face in the chain's ads for many sporting events and especially on Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest day of the year for pizza sales as customers buy millions of pies from chains and independent operators.

Thirty-second ads during the Super Bowl game cost more than $2 million, significant cash even for Papa John’s, where the yearly marketing and promotional budget exceeds $160 million. 

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Brandon Rhoten, the chain's chief marketing officer, said in an emailed response to questions from Courier Journal on Thursday that Super Bowl advertising might be a game-time decision for the company.

"We currently do not have a Super Bowl spot booked or produced, but are exploring our options in and around the game," he said.

Rhoten, who was marketing chief at Wendy's this time a year ago, added that "I didn’t buy my Super Bowl spot last year until the Monday before the game, so you never know.”

The company appears to be stepping lightly after Schnatter fumbled a November earnings call by blaming his company's lagging sales on the NFL's decline in popularity amid player protests during the national anthem. Schnatter was roundly ridiculed on social media after the call, with some saying the decline was because of the quality of the pizza.

Then white supremacists crowned Papa John’s the official pizza of the alt-right — sharing an image of a pizza topped with a swastika fashioned with pepperoni slices. It forced Papa John’s officials to release a statement disavowing the endorsement.

And while the company remains the official sponsor of the NFL — the sponsorship deal was renewed in 2016 for undisclosed financial terms — it apparently has been reconsidering whether tying its fortunes to the league and its big game is a good idea.

 

Rhoten told Ad Age, an advertising trade publication, that the company has been distancing itself by removing NFL imagery and "official sponsor" wording from ads. He also said the company is evaluating whether to continue as the official pizza sponsor of the NFL and the Super Bowl.

The company also is airing more 15-second spots highlighting the pizza chain rather than 30-second spots about football and stars such as ex-quarterback Peyton Manning.

The goal is to avoid tying the company’s fortunes to partners like the NFL, Rhoten told Ad Age. "We can't be beholden to their success. … We'll take advantage of it, and when they win, we'll win. But when they're not doing as well, we don't want to suffer."

He was noncommittal on whether Schnatter will appear in ads around the Super Bowl or thereafter. Rhoten said Schnatter is still integral to the Papa John's story but added the “the brand has some room for flexibility.”

This year, Papa John’s officials hinted that they may have some fun by mixing in a fresh face in rapper Lil Jon. His Twitter account carried a tweet Dec. 22 joking that he’d accept the CEO job and could “start immediately.”

A Twitter exchange led to phone calls between Laundry Service, Papa John's new creative contractor, the company and the rapper. Lil Jon's account later carried a cryptic update about Papa John’s late last month: “Excited for the future” with a handshake emoji.

Fans who don't know about Lil Jon more likely will be watching for Big John in the day's ads. If there's no Schnatter, that may be an even more telling surprise.

Grace Schneider: 502-582-4082; gschneider@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @gesinfk. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/graces