Papa John’s is now Papa Johns. Dropping the apostrophe on the public face of the pizza chain is a symbolic change that further distances the company from its founder, John Schmatter, who resigned after a series of controversies in 2018. As of this writing, the name of the parent company is still Papa John’s International.
Eliminating the visual speed-bump of the apostrophe aided agency-of-record Forpeople in streamlining and simplifying the Papa Johns’ identity, reflecting the company’s customer-experience goal of providing a simpler, more streamlined store experience.
The brand refresh maintains the chain’s signature red and green, but a new palette inspired by pizza ingredients adds freshness. A new custom font by Colophon Foundry is based on how the chain’s fresh dough moves and stretches. Photography celebrating the “best pizza moments” and a “hand-drawn happiness” illustration style complete the new toolkit.