Inside Papa Johns’ strategy to turn Toy Story nostalgia into brand growth

The chain discusses how immersive marketing supports both brand equity and business results.

Papa Johns is leaning into cultural relevance over short-term sales with its Toy Story-inspired Pizza Planet campaign, betting that recreating one of cinema's most iconic pizzerias will do more for the brand long-term than a straightforward value push.

Rolled out across 43 markets as a fully integrated 360 campaign, Georgia Wilkins, head of PR at Papa Johns International, told QSR Media UK that the activation spans experiential, paid media, social, influencer and PR—and marks a departure from simply putting characters on packaging.

QSR Media: What was the thinking behind reviving a specific setting rather than building a new concept around the new film?

Wilkins: Pizza Planet is one of the most iconic and recognisable moments in the Toy Story universe. For many people, it's instantly associated with fun, family, play and, of course, pizza. Rather than creating something entirely new, we saw an opportunity to bring a place that fans have imagined and loved for more than 30 years into the real world for the very first time.

How does a partnership like this fit into Papa Johns' wider strategy?

Partnerships work best when they feel authentic to the brand, and this one couldn't be a more natural fit. For so many people, movie nights and pizza nights go hand in hand, and Toy Story has been part of those moments for generations. Pizza plays a central role in how people come together, whether that's a family movie night, a celebration with friends, or simply spending quality time together—and that's exactly what Papa Johns is all about.

Our wider strategy is focused on creating meaningful occasions around the brand, not just transactions. Collaborations like this help us build cultural relevance, engage existing customers in new ways, and introduce Papa Johns to new audiences. Ultimately, it's about creating memorable experiences that strengthen customer relationships, build long-term brand affinity, and ensure we're top of mind.

What's been the biggest challenge in pulling a campaign like this together, and can you share a specific moment where something went wrong and how you fixed it?

The biggest challenge was doing justice to something that means so much to fans. When you're recreating an iconic setting like Pizza Planet, people know exactly what it should feel like, so the bar is incredibly high.

One example was finding the right balance between nostalgia and modern-day customer experience. Early concepts leaned heavily into the retro arcade aesthetic, which looked fantastic visually, but some elements created friction in terms of guest flow and how people would interact with the space and enjoy pizza. We went back to the drawing board with our agency and experience teams and redesigned parts of the layout to make it feel immersive without sacrificing accessibility or practicality.

In campaigns of this scale, there are always last-minute challenges, but what's important is having strong teams and partners who are focused on the fan experience first.

Beyond brand sentiment, what specific commercial outcomes are you targeting with this campaign—incremental sales, new customer acquisition, app sign-ups—and how will you know if it's worked?

We absolutely look at this through both a brand and commercial lens. Of course we'll look at the commercial performance of the campaign, including engagement with the limited-edition menu and broader business metrics, but we see this first and foremost as a brand-building exercise.

The role of a campaign like this isn't simply to drive orders tomorrow. It's about ensuring Papa Johns remains culturally relevant, contemporary, and part of the conversations consumers are having today. In a highly competitive category, that's incredibly important.

We often talk about balancing brand building over time with sales overnight. Performance marketing and value promotions play a critical role in driving immediate transactions, but campaigns like this help build the emotional connection and distinctiveness that influence consideration in the longer term.

Ultimately, success for us is whether this campaign helps more people see Papa Johns as a modern, culturally connected brand they want to engage with. If we can shift the needle on consideration and create positive associations that stay with consumers long after the campaign ends, that's where the real long-term value lies.

What makes this campaign stand out from other entertainment partnerships?

What makes this unique is that we're not simply putting characters on packaging or creating a themed product. We're building genuine connection by bringing a special fictional place that people have known and loved for decades into the real world.

What also sets this campaign apart is its scale. This is a global campaign—we launched our Toy Story LTO in 43 markets. This is a fully integrated 360 campaign spanning experiential, paid media, social, influencer, and PR. Every element is designed to work together to create excitement, drive engagement, and give fans multiple ways to interact with the brand.

Papa Johns has run entertainment tie-ins before. What did those teach you about what actually converts attention into orders, and what are you doing differently this time because of it?

One of the biggest lessons is that awareness on its own isn't enough. Customers are far more likely to engage when the excitement of a partnership is connected to something tangible and easy to participate in.

That's why we've focused on creating a complete ecosystem around the campaign. You've got limited-time products, exclusive packaging, social content, and the Pizza Planet experience itself. Each element gives people a reason not just to notice the campaign but to actively participate in it.

We've become much more intentional about creating multiple entry points, because different customers engage with brands in different ways.

With margins under pressure across quick-service restaurants, how do you justify spending on immersive one-off experiences like this over value-led promotions or digital marketing that have a more direct line to sales?

It's not an either-or decision. Value remains incredibly important, and we continue to invest heavily in offering compelling everyday value for our customers. However, brand health requires both transactions and brand love. Experiences like Pizza Planet help create differentiation in a highly competitive category. They generate earned media, social conversation, and cultural relevance that extend far beyond the physical footprint of the activation itself.

The most effective marketing strategies combine performance and brand investment. Value promotions may drive immediate transactions, but distinctive brand experiences can help create stronger customer affinity and consideration over time. We believe both are necessary for sustainable growth.

What do you currently see in how consumers interact with brands, and how has this changed Papa Johns' strategies? Can you share something specific you are actively pursuing in your strategies now?

Consumers increasingly want to participate with brands rather than simply be marketed to. They're looking for experiences they can share, personalise, and engage with across multiple channels. We're also seeing a growing expectation that physical and digital experiences should feel connected. Customers might discover a campaign on social media, engage through an app, visit an experience in person, and then share that experience back online. As a result, we're placing greater emphasis on creating connected campaigns that work across every touchpoint.