• by Todd Wasserman , October 20, 2022

Taking a page from Eddie Murphy in the 1996 remake of “The Nutty Professor,” Shaquille O’Neal plays almost every role in a new spot depicting the return of the Shaq-a-Roni, the biggest pizza that Papa Johns makes.

“If the hoop was as big as that pizza, maybe you’d a made some of them free throws,” says an elder family member (played by Shaq).

“Dang, that’s huge,” says another family member (Shaq). At the end of the ad, via Camp + King, Shaq plays another family member (Teen Shaq) and asks for a slice.

This marks the third year that Papa Johns has partnered with board member and franchise owner O’Neal. In another ad, Papa Johns addresses shrinkflation, in which marketers downsize their offerings amid inflation. To counter shrinkflation, Papa Johns offers “Shaqflation.”