Daimler, Popeye’s, Papa John’s…

Daimler, Popeye’s, Papa John’s, AT&T…and other brands targeting the U.S. consumer right now. Check out our prior Sales Leads columns.

• Daimler

The Daimler Truck group (“Daimler Truck”) announced the launch of a line of electric trucks in the US market under the new brand name RIZON. The RIZON brand and its vehicle offerings will be presented to the public for the first time at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, scheduled to run from May 1-4, 2023 in Anaheim, California. RIZON delivers customer-focused zero-emission trucks and mobility solutions from one of the world’s largest and most experienced commercial vehicle manufacturers, Daimler Truck. With this initial product selection, RIZON trucks will target businesses involved in urban retail logistics, last-mile deliveries and municipal work. Starting Q4 2023, they will be distributed in the United States through an exclusive agreement with Velocity, an established name in the commercial vehicle industry with around 80 global outlets.
RIZON’s identity is rooted in the brand’s commitment to form a partnership with business owners as they shift to zero-emission transportation. Fleet owners and truck drivers will be comprehensively supported through an experienced dealership network offering a range of services that help deliver the seamless experience customers expect from Daimler Truck’s brands. Consulting on AC and DC charging as well as telematics access will be available. Flexible financing is provided by Daimler Truck Financial Services.

• Popeyes

Popeyes® dropped its new creative campaign, “We Don’t Make Sense, We Make Chicken,”. The campaign brings the magic of the brand’s hometown of New Orleans to serve as the catalyst to tell a rich story about Popeyes culinary credentials. Created in partnership with Popeyes new creative agency of record, McKinney, the campaign will launch digitally in May followed by out-of-home and television executions unveiled nationwide in June. Leveraging the brand’s Louisiana heritage, the new spots focus on the slow, time-honored, homemade traditions of Southern cooking that contribute to the delicious crunch and robust Cajun flavors served to guests every day. From 12-hour marination, to hand battered and hand breaded in restaurant, to frying up our signature chicken fresh – it often doesn’t make sense, but as the campaign notes, these unique cooking techniques helps make Popeyes chicken great. As the chicken category continues to grow and popularity among consumers increases, Popeyes new campaign differentiates itself among competitors and sets the stage for the brand’s future. Popeyes birthplace, New Orleans, provides the perfect backdrop to tell its heritage story and highlight its food quality, culinary credibility, and great taste. “New Orleans is our spokesperson,” said Jeff Klein, Chief Marketing Officer of Popeyes. “There is a clear and powerful story about how Popeyes makes its food in true NOLA fashion – with high-quality ingredients, slow marination, Cajun spices, and battered by hand. Our new campaign shifts from a user-generated content model to content that spotlights the vibrancy and culture of our birthplace. This campaign is not just about our great-tasting food – it’s about the history and traditions behind it. It’s about why it’s easy to love Popeyes.”

• Papa John’s 

Papa John’s is bringing an exciting flavor to its menu and expanding its Papadia lineup in a cutting-edge way, this time by joining forces with PepsiCo Foodservice to deliver fans a product mashup that combines its signature flatbread-style sandwich with the “cool” flavors of Doritos® Cool Ranch® to create the all-new Doritos® Cool Ranch® Papadia.  Beginning Monday, May 1, the Doritos® Cool Ranch® Papadia will be available exclusively for Papa Rewards loyalty members and will become available nationwide on Thursday, May 4. The limited-time offering will live on menus through July 23, 2023 for just $7.99.  The savory new Papadia is made to order, and features Papa Johns’s fresh, never frozen, original dough filled with the customer’s choice of chicken, beef, steak or other fillings of their choice. The Doritos® Cool Ranch® Papadia is toasted to perfection and dusted with bold ranch seasoning. Customers receive extra sauce on the side, perfect for dipping. Inspired by the ‘piadina’ and introduced to the Papa Johns menu in 2020, the Papadia is an Italian flatbread-style sandwich that combines the original Papa Johns crust made with our fresh, never frozen dough people crave with toppings. It’s part pizza, part sandwich, making it the best of both worlds. “At Papa Johns, flavor exploration puts us at the forefront of our menu innovation, which is why we couldn’t be more excited to bring together our Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.® promise with the iconic flavor of Doritos® Cool Ranch to create this limited-time Papadia,” said Kimberly Bean, VP of Menu Strategy & Calendar Planning. “Our partnership with PepsiCo Foodservice allowed us to leverage the bold taste of Doritos® Cool Ranch® to reimagine a specialty seasoning for the Papadia, which offers new and current consumers the ultimate chip and sandwich experience and gives them a bold taste in every bite, so delicious you’ll wish you had thought of it first.”o-owned supermarket chains in the state.