• by Fern Siegel , April 1, 2025

California Pizza Kitchen is turning 40 — and to mark the occasion, it's brought back some fan favorites, such as Rosemary Roasted Potato & Grilled Chicken Pizza, a Thank You card promo and a campaign featuring actor Busy Philipps.

The creative appears across social, digital, OOH and in-store activations, a send-up of brands that worked too hard to seem hip.

The focus, a mockumentary-style spot, champions authenticity over chasing younger demos. Philipps steps in to nix the crazy birthday efforts in favor of basics. CPK doesn't need a brand reinvention, just a reminder of what it does best.

Iris delivered the anniversary campaign.

Philipps, a one-time hostess at CPK, comically shifts the narrative from denial to celebration: CPK is turning 40 — and it's owning its history.

“Turning 40 is a significant milestone for any brand — but candidly why should consumers care?” asked Dawn Keller, CMO, California Pizza Kitchen. “We knew this couldn’t be a standard celebration, but could be used to reengage consumers around our brand. And Busy brings the perfect dose of heart and humor, helping us embrace who we are.”

CPK is a global brand, serving creative California cuisine across 27 states, nine countries and U.S. territories.

“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,” said 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.”

Now through May 11, every CPK adult guest — in a restaurant, takeout or delivery — receives a Thank You card containing a hidden prize revealed at their next visit. It can include meal discounts, gift cards at major brands or cash prizes up to $40,000. Until June 8, guests can visit any full-service CPK location with their unopened card to have their prize revealed.