Editor's note (updated May 27, 2026):Papa Johns has revealed more details about its collaboration with Toy Story 5, including opening "Pizza Planet" experience locations in Los Angeles, London, Seoul, and Madrid (according to a press release). The brand also released a 30-second co-branded TV commercial produced by Pixar Animation Studios.

Since Jenna Bromberg became Chief Marketing Officer in November 2024, Papa Johns has launched several campaigns aimed at boosting the brand's cultural relevance, from garlic sauce bath bombs and dough-shaped stress balls to deli-themed pop-ups and even a push for Michelin stars.

This week, Papa Johns announced a global collaboration with Disney and Pixar for Toy Story 5, which hits theaters on June 19. It is one of the brand's largest international tie-ins to date and marks the first time the Toy Story franchise has partnered with a pizza brand.

"Toy Story is the culmination of the work we've done over the past year and a half to create growth momentum," Bromberg told Marketing Dive. "Very few IPs have such enduring vitality and cross-generational appeal."

Papa Johns CMO Jenna Bromberg Papa Johns Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Bromberg (Image credit: Papa Johns)

The partnership with the animated IP allows the brand to celebrate the joy of family gatherings. Beyond the usual menu and merchandise opportunities, Papa Johns also plans to activate around the film's "Pizza Planet."

"The natural connection to pizza in the film is something you may see us leverage in meaningful ways in the coming months," Bromberg said.

The marketing campaign around Toy Story 5 remains key to Papa Johns' transformation. The company reported today that comparable sales in North America fell 6.4% year over year, reflecting a challenging consumer environment and intense promotional competition in the fast-food industry.

Marketing Dive spoke with Bromberg about the film collaboration details, recent marketing co-op and agency changes, and the Google Cloud AI partnership.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Marketing Dive: How is Papa Johns maximizing its partnership with Disney and Pixar?

Jenna Bromberg:What's special about this collaboration is that we're going global — this isn't just a North America program. For the first time, we're rolling this out in over 40 countries worldwide. It's not just cross-generational, it's cross-global. We're activating differently in different markets based on the market and the audience.

Most importantly, it's about creating a tangible experience that only Papa Johns can deliver. That doesn't necessarily mean experiential events (though we are doing those), but pairing it with something truly special on the product side. We're launching three collectible boxes featuring Toy Story characters, and three character-inspired recipes with different flavor profiles for different family members. Plus a new Rootin' Tootin' Ranch dipping sauce.

Additionally, there are collectibles in select markets, experiential activations drawn directly from the pizza elements in the film, and a wealth of social media content. Our TV ad was animated by Pixar, and you'll see characters in the Papa Johns kitchen playing with our premium ingredients. Finally, our Toy Story in-app game is exclusive to Papa Rewards members, who can earn points to redeem for Papa Dough and spend in the app.

On Papa Rewards, how are you engaging members and leveraging first-party data?

The loyalty program has been a major engine for us for years. We were actually an innovator and pioneer in this space: one of the first QSR brands to launch a loyalty program. Papa Rewards has gone through several iterations, most notably upgrading to a rich cash-back program in late 2024. Consumers find it simple and easy to use, and loyalty members are clearly more engaged. This year we've started ramping up personalization, offering different deals based on member tastes and preferences.

A few weeks ago, we launched Lou AI, an AI ordering assistant designed to solve several consumer pain points. One of the most common questions is "I have X people, how much pizza should I order?" Lou AI quickly solves that, and it also automatically finds and applies offers based on the cart. It delivers a fast ordering experience, and the best part is it's completely hands-free — you can order directly by voice.

Google helped us develop the AI platform, and we're very pleased with the early results. There's more to come with Google in the future, but this is our first big project.

Beyond offers and price, how do you differentiate in an environment where competitors are also pushing value?

The brand has always had certain inherent traits. Value is "what you get for what you pay," and the "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza." promise has long been a big part of the value equation. We're also the only brand that gives away garlic sauce and pepperoncini for free with every order, and consumers really appreciate that.

Over the past two years, we've consistently promoted the $6.99 Papa Pairings menu, a mix-and-match value menu that keeps consumers coming back. In recent months we've added new items to keep it fresh. There's more coming in the next few months, but the core is the brand's asset portfolio — going beyond price to include everyday value and innovation.

Papa Johns recently brought back marketing cooperatives. How is that going?

We've established about 50 co-ops covering roughly 50% of the system. This brings several benefits. Pizza is a national game, but you win locally — that's something our CEO emphasizes repeatedly. Being the local neighborhood pizza place is a privilege that requires on-the-ground community engagement, like working with local schools, chamber of commerce organizations, or sponsoring local sports teams, whether it's college teams, MLB teams, or minor league.

The co-ops also foster better alignment between national and local marketing, such as how offers appear on third-party platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, or how local carryout deals complement national innovation messaging. This makes national and local marketing plans more unified and cohesive.

Papa Johns named Leo Chicago as its agency about six months ago. What have they brought?

Leo has been a great partner, and The Martin Agency was excellent as well. One of the first things I discussed when I came on board was our "secret sauce" — the craft. When you walk into a Papa Johns store, what strikes you most is the passion of the team members making the pizza.

The plan has always been to highlight the craft and employee passion through the "Meet the Makers" campaign, then shift to the product itself. Leo Chicago has done a lot of work on the 2026 new product push, turning the lens from employees to the product. Leo has executed that brilliantly across both TV and social creative.