Pizza restaurant and delivery service Papa John’s has announced the launch of a new superfood hemp product called hemp sticks.
The hemp sticks are made using Papa John’s dough which is made with only six ingredients. The shelled hemp seeds are sprinkled into the mix along with garlic butter sauce and mozzarella.
This marks the first hemp product the restaurant has released as part of its ‘Better Ingredients. Better Pizza’ campaign and rebrand. It will be launched in two key markets, Russia and the UK, before potentially being added to other locations.
The hemp sticks will be part of an integrated marketing campaign that will utilise independent nutritionists and media personalities. It also aims to offer education into hemp as a superfood by breaking traditional ideas of the plant. The campaign will highlight the high levels of plant protein, vitamins and other nutrients.
Hemp as a superfood campaign
Advertising in the UK will feature vegan chef Matt Pritchard abseiling down a cliff to deliver the hemp sticks.
Jo Blundell, VP of International Marketing at Papa Johns, says: “With the launch of Hemp Sticks, Papa Johns has become the first global, quick-service, brand to make superfood hemp available to all.
Premium, innovative ingredients are the very core of our pizzas, so Hemp Sticks will offer pizza fans a new way to enjoy our iconic breadsticks and help to dispel some of the misunderstandings surrounding this 100 per cent legal, delicious seed.”
Camping on a cliff? Forgot to bring food? Not to worry! The Dirty Vegan, Matt Pritchard, is on the case! Delivering our newest Hemp Sticks to a pair of campers at one of the highest ever UK camp sites! Would you dare? pic.twitter.com/RiExeXmW3H
— Papa John’s UK (@PapaJohnsUK) February 13, 2022
As part of the marketing campaign, Papa John’s launched a survey to find out what the British public thought about hemp seeds. It revealed that two-thirds of those surveyed didn’t know hemp was a superfood and 26 per cent thought it was possible for people to get high from them.
The new product will launch on March 7 for a limited time only