Papa John's to offer Cleveland residents 23-cent pizzas as an apology...

[Breeze54]

Papa John's to offer Cleveland residents 23-cent pizzas

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3381471

Associated Press
Updated: May 5, 2008, 12:22 AM ET

CLEVELAND --

Papa John's Pizza issued an apology to Cleveland and the Cavaliers for making T-shirts
with LeBron James' number and the word "crybaby" under it.

To apologize, Papa John's will sell Cleveland residents a large, one-topping pizza for
23 cents on Thursday. The 23 is an homage to James' jersey number. The company also will
donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.

The pizza chain's T-shirts were featured during the Cavs' games against the Wizards on Friday
in Washington. Wizards fans taunted the Cavs, who won the playoff series that night in Game 6.

The shirts started after James complained about hard fouls, and Wizards center Brendan Haywood
called him a crybaby.

[OhioChick]

1. I Wonder What "Bright Person"

Came up with this idea. Perhaps, being ignorant enough not to realize that Papa John's was also in Ohio? :wow:

[Donnachaidh]

10. Doesn't surprise me at all -- look at other recent marketing campaigns

Cheetos has an ad with it's *critter* egging on someone who had an argument with another woman to place a handful of cheetos in her dryer full of white clothes. Or stuffing them up the nose of a sleeping airline passenger. Burger King has an ad with someone pushing another car past the take out window, just to get his hamburger before anyone else.

I swear - these companies have hired some over-aggressive 12 year olds to write their campaigns. And it backfired -- what a surprise! :sarcasm:

This sort of in-your-face advertising is STUPID and just makes all of us seem moronic. What's next? Purple nurples if you don't use our laundry soap? Companies are hiring ad agencies that obviously have hired from a kiddie pool somewhere.

[trumad]

2. Bad for business I guess...

[OhioChick]

3. Since that's all they've talked about

on the local morning news, I presume that sales at Papa John's won't be so great in this area for some time due to boycotting.

[Breeze54]

4. Except on Thursday!

:P

Somebody at Papa John's screwed up by making those shirts!

[OhioChick]

5. Oddly Enough...

And considering how poor Cleveland is, I listened to the call-ins on the local news and most people will be passing up those 23 cent pizzas. Should be interesting to hear how they do with that promotion on Thursday.

Bet they'll never make that mistake again. :)

[Breeze54]

6. I think companies all over should stay out of it...

but they won't. Professional Sports is all corporate BS now, sadly and all about profits.

I suspect that some won't get a pizza but I'll bet many will and their kids will be urging them to get it!

Hey, for 23 cents? How can you pass that deal up, considering today's food prices?

At least Papa John's apologized and is donating $10K to Youth programs.

[OhioChick]

9. Agreed.

:)

[KansDem]

20. Seconded!

I'm old enough to remember with football half-time shows actually showed a marching band doing a half-time show. Now it's non-stop drivel full of worthless stats and boring interviews. Oh, and commercials, too!

[zbdent]

7. Wasn't there flak over the Papa John's founder being a RWer?

if so, let's bankrupt him for this ...

[Breeze54]

8. I have no idea...

:shrug:

But why bankrupt them? That would cause people to lose jobs, wouldn't it?

It's just pizza and they did apologize.

[AspenRose]

11. That's Domino's I think

eom

[zbdent]

13. Not long ago, I read something on DU which told me that Papa John's was going R

and I was disappointed, because I liked P.J.'s pizza and didn't want to give it up ...

I know that Domino's founder/owner was doing a "Christian school" B.S. - but the sauce had long ago soured on me, so I had left Domino's (which, BTW, had sustained me through college ...) long before ...

[AspenRose]

14. That's disappointing if true

:-(

[Breeze54]

16. John Schnatter, Papa John's Pizza founder, donated to the GOP 53% & Dem's 43%

John Schnatter , 46 (bio)

Papa John's Pizza founder

NEWSMEAT Power Rank: 192

http://www.newsmeat.com/ceo_political_donations/John_Schnatter.php

Election Picks: 13 wins, 4 losses

DONATIONS:

$26,950 Republican
$21,500 Democrat
$1,000 special interest
total: $49,450

-----

SCHNATTER, JOHN H MR.
LOUISVILLE, KY 40269
PAPA JOHN'S INTERNATIONAL INC./C.E.

George W Bush (R)
President
BUSH-CHENEY '04 (PRIMARY) INC Won - $2,000
primary 02/12/04

SCHNATTER, JOHN
LOUISVILLE, KY 40269
PAPA JOHN'S
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF KENTUCKY (R) - $5,000
primary 06/21/00

:(

Schnatter, John H.
Louisville , KY 40269
Papa John's Pizza/Ceo
KENTUCKY STATE DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (D) - $2,500
primary 09/27/07

[Occulus]

17. You know what though?

Theirs is still excellent pizza. I can honestly say that in more than ten years of ordering from them I've never had a single complaint.

Oh, wait. There was one time I got sausage on my pizza when I requested none. One mistake over that period of time = good business.

I guess I'll just have to spend money on offsets when I order from them from now on. Does Meijer lean Dem? I think Target does...

Anyone know anything about Save-a-Lot? Big Lots? Harding's grocery stores?

[Breeze54]

18. I've never had one of their pizza's but

that's because I don't think they're even in my state. I've never seen one.

I used to check on that 'Blue'(?) website but I don't shop that much anymore to bother checking.

[RB TexLa]

12. Apologize for the truth?

OK

[bmbmd]

22. Papa J should, in fact,

boycott Cleveland. It would be a huge boost in other areas of the country.

[OhioChick]

24. Maybe Papa John's should

boycott those who fly fish. :)

[tuckessee]

15. What's the big deal about the t-shirt?

Must be a lot of crybabies in Cleveland.

[OhioChick]

23. Dissing Lebron to Cleveland....

Is like dissing Michael Jordan to Chicago.

[shain from kane]

19. A $.23 pizza probably tastes like cardboard and Ketchup.

[OhioChick]

25. The "real deal" does....at least here, anyway. n/t

[Fleshdancer]

21. Interesting marketing ploy. I guess their Cleveland numbers were low?

Free publicity with the news stories and probably hundreds of first time customers. Juvenile yet oddly interesting.

[Strawman]

26. Like LeBron is loyal to Cleveland

The same guy who shows up to an Indians game in Cleveland wearing a Yankees hat? What an egomaniac. He can't wait to bolt for Brooklyn when the Nets finally move.