Papa John’s Yanks Founder’s Face From Their Ads

ABC News reports:

Papa John’s, which has featured founder John Schnatter in logos and TV ads, is pulling his image from its marketing after reports he used a racial slur. His face was off at least some materials by late morning Friday, though the company said the details and exact timing for everything were still being worked out.

Schnatter has long been the face of the brand, and Papa John’s has acknowledged in regulatory filings that its business could be hurt if Schnatter’s reputation was damaged. Papa John’s got a taste of that last year, when Schnatter stepped down as CEO after blaming disappointing pizza sales on the outcry surrounding football players kneeling during the national anthem.

Schnatter remains on the board, and is still the company’s largest shareholder with nearly 30 percent of the stock. In addition to appearing in TV ads, Schnatter’s image has been on packaging and at the center of a logo that usually was all over the company’s website.

Papa John’s has no plans to change their name.