Does goofy humour work in advertising? With Gen Z, that’s a resounding yes. Iris and California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) are about to find out how far it extends across the generations. CPK has turned forty. (That has no Gen Z appeal. It often has little appeal when it comes to restaurants either.)

Iris’ creativity turned away from the stilted idea of a heritage campaign – and opted for a clunky humour campaign – adding in the all-round popularity of comedian, Busy Philipps. In the campaign, CPK executes a bold, intentionally chaotic rebrand to dramatise the marketing panic that can set in when brands (and their customers) hit milestone birthdays.

The strategy? First deny, then embrace its age – with a provocative three-phase rollout across social, digital, OOH and in-store activations. The campaign began when CPK feigned a mid-life crisis ahead of turning 40, debuting “new branding” across all digital channels. Inspired by streetwear fashion and culture to stay fresh with today’s consumers, the holistic but fake brand was brought to life through preposterous videos, graphics, and images, leaving everyone wondering what was truly going on.

It culminated in ex-employee and actor, Busy Philipps’ intervention and a return to the brand’s legacy under the platform, 40 and fine with it.

The dramatically misguided reinvention in an attempt to stay relevant to a younger audience included:

• A high-gloss, high-fashion brand film featuring models posing with pizza in surreal nightclub-like environments.
• A total identity overhaul, including new uniforms, packaging, signage, and a logo redesign.
• A social-first, Hypebeast-inspired aesthetic featuring cryptic taglines like “THE RECIPE WILL NOT BE FOLLOWED” and “CPK: FRESH. TO. DEATH.”
• A full overhaul of CPK.COM and even a Shopify merch store launch at CPKDROP.COM to shop the new apparel.

As the campaign reached peak absurdity, CPK’s most famous ex-employee, Busy Philipps, stepped in from the outside earlier this week with a reaction video posted on across social media, questioning the brand’s new direction, humorously expressing concern over its radical departure from its family-friendly roots. Her candid reaction video playfully critiques everything from the uniforms to the edgy new logo, ultimately offering her support to help guide CPK back to reality.

Her reaction set the stage for the mockumentary-style hero film in which Philipps steps in to “fix” the brand. Busy Philipps delivers a sharp, comedic takedown of the rebrand’s most delusional elements – calling out everything from the impractical uniforms to the over-stylised logo with her trademark humour and sarcasm.

As the campaign unfolds, she reintroduces beloved dishes from CPK’s past, reminding the brand, and its audience, what made it iconic in the first place. Her presence shifts the narrative from denial to celebration, repositioning CPK as a brand that’s not just turning 40, but proudly owning it.

“Turning 40 is a significant milestone for any brand – but candidly why should consumers care?,” stated Dawn Keller, CMO at California Pizza Kitchen. “We knew this couldn’t be a standard celebration but could be used to re-engage consumers around our brand. This campaign is bold, a little delusional on purpose, and totally us. And Busy brings the perfect dose of heart and humour, helping us embrace who we are – 40, iconic, and still serving up something fresh, certainly with our menu but also with our brand voice.”

“A lot of brands hit a certain milestone and panic – overhauling their identity to chase what’s next, often at the cost of what made them iconic in the first place,” added Menno Kluin, Global CCO of Iris. “With CPK, we wanted to take that instinct to its most delusional extreme – diving headfirst into hype culture – then flip it on its head. The result is a bold campaign that lets the brand have fun, reflect, and ultimately celebrate its legacy without feeling stuck in the past.”