Breathing Life Into Advertising: How Human Connection Saved Papa Johns’ Campaigns

When I joined iHeart Media in Baltimore as a sound designer and creative director, the challenge was clear: national ad sales were slipping, and some of our biggest clients—brands like Papa Johns—were ready to walk away.

Why? Because the commercials being produced lacked integrity. They sounded rushed, uninspired, and transactional. You could hear it: spots that should have been crafted with care were instead treated as just another task to check off the list. Clients felt disrespected. Audiences felt disengaged.

I knew we had to change that.

After carefully listening to the stop sets and understanding the frustration, it became obvious—the problem wasn’t the clients or the product. The problem was how we were approaching the work. Commercials weren’t being treated as opportunities to create connection. They weren’t honoring the audience or the craft.

So, I set out to breathe life back into the process.

Creating Hunger Through Connection

With Papa Johns, for example, I worked with our voice actors to slow down, to connect, and to feel the product. Before every read, I asked them to imagine the taste of a hot, fresh slice of pizza. I wanted them to experience that craving in their bodies—because only then could the audience feel it in their voices.

This wasn’t about forcing a “great sounding voice.” It was about creating a genuine human connection. Vulnerability, authenticity, and emotional truth became the real ingredients.

The Results: A 45% ROI Increase

Nine months later, I was pulled into a meeting with upper management. I braced myself, thinking I might be in trouble. Instead, they wanted to know exactly what I was doing—and how it could be scaled to other clients.

The answer was simple but not easy: it wasn’t a formula, it was a philosophy. The philosophy of slowing down, respecting the craft, and prioritizing connection over speed.

The results spoke for themselves: Papa Johns saw a 45% increase in ROI. Their ads went from background noise to something audiences could feel. The brand, once on the verge of pulling its buy, was now thriving again in our market.

Integrity in Advertising

At the end of the day, advertising is not about the cleverest copy or the slickest voice. It’s about the human being behind the mic and their ability to transmit genuine emotion. That’s what resonates. That’s what sells.

Passion, integrity, and authenticity turned around an account that was ready to walk. And it reminded me of something I’ve carried ever since:

It’s not just about what you say—it’s about how you say it.