Panera Brings Christopher Briney Into a Sandwich vs. Salad Love Triangle

Quick listen: How Panera used a TV star’s persona to sell sandwiches — in under 2 minutes.

Panera’s latest campaign stars Christopher Briney in a comedic spot where choosing between a salad and a sandwich turns into a melodramatic dilemma.

In its newest campaign, Panera has enlisted "The Summer I Turned Pretty" star to dramatize one of life’s most relatable struggles: deciding what to eat.

The spot, released August 7, plays off Briney’s on-screen love triangle storyline by swapping out romantic rivals for a salad and a sandwich.

The campaign hopes to highlight Panera's new "You Pick Two" deal, allowing customers to have both favorites in half portions.

“Everyone knows the struggle of having to pick between two options," Briney told People. 

"The You Pick Two menu at Panera makes it easy to have both of your favorites, no debating necessary.”

If Life Were Like Panera

The one-minute ad mirrors Briney’s character arc in "The Summer I Turned Pretty," where his alter ego Conrad is caught in a love triangle between two brothers.

“I don't know what to do. I'm torn between two things,” Briney says with a pensive expression familiar to fans of his Prime Video character.

He continues, “I could listen to my gut and do what I know is right. Or I could follow my heart and let the chips fall where they may.”

The indecision ends when a Panera employee points out the chain’s "You Pick Two" deal.

“So, you're saying no one has to make an agonizing decision between two things they really care about?” Briney asks.

“It's not that deep. It's just a salad and a sandwich," the employee replies.

The spot ends with Briney wistfully saying, “I wish life was like Panera,” before walking away with his tray.

Overall, the TV series' emotional weight is swapped out in this spot for humor, with the resolution being as simple as ordering two menu items instead of one.

The campaign runs on YouTube and Panera’s owned channels, with shorter edits planned for social media.

It follows a wave of food brands tapping young TV stars for quirky ads, including Briney’s co-star Gavin Casalegno, who recently fronted a Dunkin’ commercial for its "Golden Hour Refresher."

Our Take: Does This Joke Have Staying Power?

I like how Panera leans into Briney’s TV persona without making the ad feel like an inside joke only fans would get.

The concept is clear even if you’ve never watched the show because indecision is universal, and the punchline lands.

What makes it work is that the humor supports the product message rather than distracting from it.

If Panera keeps pairing recognizable faces with relatable moments, this could be a repeatable campaign style.

Recently, we’ve seen other food companies nail this balance.

Take, for example, Doritos, which made a retro-comedic spot starring Walton Goggins to introduce its new "Golden Sriracha" flavor.