Dive Brief:

• Panera Bread debuted “It Just Meals Good,” a new campaign and tagline that aim to reintroduce the soup and sandwich chain as a sit-down restaurant for any occasion, according to news shared with Marketing Dive. 
• A 60-second hero spot, “This is a Meal,” tracks through a cafe location as people grab a bite for various reasons, whether it’s tucking into the first salad of the week or having an awkward conversation with an ex. A 30-second cutdown of the ad is also running, as is a 15-second vignette focused on a daughter getting her learner’s permit. 
• The work, Panera’s first from creative agency 72andSunny, serves to reposition the brand following a number of changes to executive leadership. Panera joins other QSRs in emphasizing the dine-in experience after a period prioritizing digital and mobile channels.  

Dive Insight:

Panera wants people to slow down and enjoy the experience of its sit-down cafes with “It Just Meals Good,” a campaign and brand platform that serve as a reintroduction for the chain known for soups, sandwiches and bread bowls. The concept was developed by Stagwell’s 72andSunny creative agency, which Panera hired in January to advance its modernization efforts after several years of working with Mother.

New ads try to capture the vibrancy of a packed Panera cafe with fluid camera movements while showcasing staple menu items. In a statement, CMO Mark Shambura explained that “It Just Meals Good” underscores the diversity of dining occasions for which Panera is a good fit, whether it’s an on-the-go lunch, date night or stop in for a treat. 

Other restaurant and cafe brands, including Starbucks, are attempting to reestablish their status as “third places” where people can hang out, a reversal from post-pandemic years where the category focus shifted to mobile ordering and pickup.

“We wanted to create something that feels like your favorite playlist — eclectic, energetic, and full of good vibes,” said Peter Hughes, group creative director at 72andSunny New York, in a statement. “Huge credit goes to the Panera team for embracing this creative leap and trusting us to reignite the brand in a way that feels both nostalgic and entirely new." 

A fresh messaging approach for Panera comes on the tails of several executive changes and a year marked by some controversy, including wrongful death lawsuits over a since-discontinued caffeinated beverage offering. Last July, the company hired former Papa John’s marketer Shambura as CMO to oversee brand building, digital, loyalty, product strategy and consumer insights programs.

The brand at the time was coming off one of its most significant menu overhauls to date. Panera Brands, which owns Panera, Einstein Bros. and Caribou Coffee, last month installed former finance chief Paul Carbone as permanent CEO after his predecessor José Alberto Dueñas resigned in January