Cars, fast food, and lawyers dominate the TV commercial landscape. Pizza delivery restaurants also make up a large portion of TV commercials. It seems like I see a commercial for pizza at least once during a show. I am the ideal demographic for a Pizza place, a young single guy, who at any given moment is watching, listening, or browsing a sports media outlet. I recently noticed a dramatic change in one of the more popular Pizza brands. Papa John's has always maintained an image of being above the fray in the world of pizza. Their menu is a little pricier than Dominos and Pizza Hut. Papa Johns has always concentrated on quality and ingredients rather than price and speed of delivery... until now. The change is certainly due to the economic climate as Papa Johns tries to appeal to cost consious customers with a grumbling belly and wallet.
Visually you can see a difference in their advertising both on the web and on TV. Below is in example of the difference. As you can see there is a dramatic change in the difference of design and even the way the information is presented. The biggest change that you probably see is the fonts. The older ad uses contemporary fonts while the newer use puffy almost cartoon-esque fonts. This "looks" less expensive and is very similar to the look of Pizza Hut. Also notice less emphasis on the ingredients and "freshness" in the newer ad. The main thing that draws you in on the new ad is the $9.99 price. You can get a 2 topping pizza for $3.00 less than the 3 topping pizza featured in the older ad. Also notice the way Papa Johns Founder, John Schnatter is pictured as a delivery guy in the newer ad and as a chef with an elegant signature next to him. The differences are obvious, but its important to understand the reasoning behind. These changes were intentional and probably the product of numerous focus groups and consumer testing.
Papa John's is doing other things to help gain market share in this tough economic environment. For investors interested in starting a franchise this year, Papa Johns will waive the $25,000 royalties fee it charges to help intice investors, (http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090430/BUSINESS/904300327/Papa+John+s+waives+fees+to+spur+expansion).
It's this forward thinking and ability to adapt in weird economic times that has allowed Papa Johns to become the 3rd largest Pizza chain in the country in such a short time. Note: The ads in this post were NOT created by Swerve Communications Group, LLC. This post is for critique purposes only.
At Swerve Communications Group, LLC, we make a deliberate effort to execute intellegent advertising and communications plans and not just design "neat-looking" ads and content. Design is important, but the most important element of communication is understanding your audience, and the conditions that surround them. Let Swerve take you in "a different direction."
~Chris Cervellera