Jimmy John’s features Lil Jon in ads for its new Little John sandwich
Jimmy John’s hired Lil Jon to promote a new smaller sandwich called the Little John in what appears to be one of the most obvious celebrity endorsements of all time.
The Little John is a $3 sandwich that's about half the size of a Jimmy John’s original sandwich. And Lil Jon, the rapper known for songs such as “Get Low,” “Turn Down For What” and “Yeah,” is apparently a fan of the “Freaky Fast” sandwich chain.
The 15-second spot featuring Lil Jon begins with a close-up of the Little John sandwich and, as the camera pans out, it's clear that the ad for the sandwich is on Lil Jon’s chain. “So we bought a little ad on Lil Jon,” the voiceover says before the rapper takes over. (Spoiler alert: He says “yeah,” naturally.)
Lil Jon was already a fan of the brand, Jimmy John’s says. The campaign comes from Work In Progress.
The Little John is a scaled-down version of any of the seven sandwiches in Jimmy John's original lineup including the Vito, the Veggie and, of course, the Big John.
“Jimmy John’s, love the name of the new sandwich, man. Great marketing, especially using me,” Lil Jon says in another spot.
Lil Jon has made quite a career out of endorsements. He appeared in Pepsi’s Super Bowl commercial earlier this year that also featured Cardi B and Steve Carell, teamed up with the Kool-Aid man for a Christmas song in late 2018 and has appeared in spots for brands including Bud Light and Radio Shack. There was also the time he posted on Twitter that he would be Papa John’s next CEO.
Jimmy John’s is also promoting the Little John with marketing that doesn’t feature Lil Jon. One spot shows a regular sandwich being served by an employee and the Little John being served by a smaller version of the restaurant worker. Jimmy John’s, which was founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983, is set to be acquired by Inspire Brands later this month.
