NEED TO KNOW
Christopher Briney stars in Panera’s latest commercial, and PEOPLE got an exclusive first look
The spot plays on the actor’s role in The Summer I Turned Pretty and jokes about being “torn between two things”
The commercial highlights Panera’s You Pick Two menu, which allows customers to order two half entrées
The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney is stepping out of his brooding, seaside-set role as Conrad Fisher and into a Panera.
In the bakery chain’s latest campaign, the Mean Girls actor is faced with a grueling decision over which Panera menu items to order.
In the comical minute-long spot, shared on YouTube on Thursday, Aug. 7, the 27-year-old is grappling over what he wants.
“I don’t know what to do. I’m torn between two things,” Briney says, with a classic Conrad-esque furrowed look. “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.”
He continues dramatically, “But it’s hard, you know, knowing what you should do and what you want to do are very different things. I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
He’s interrupted by a Panera employee, snapping Briney out of his trance. “So, are you ready to order?” the man behind the register asks.
“I know the right thing to do is just leave it alone and get a salad, but I will always love sandwiches. I grew up eating them,” Briney says, trailing off again.
“You know you can have both, Chris,” the employee interrupts, explaining that Panera has a You Pick Two deal that allows customers to get two half portions of entrées.
Erika Doss/Prime Video
Lola Tung, Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno in ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
“So, you’re saying no one has to make an agonizing decision between two things they really care about?” Briney asks hopefully.
The employee responds plainly, “It’s not that deep. It’s just a salad and a sandwich.”
At the end of the commercial, Briney says wishfully, “I wish life was like Panera.”
The spot is a play on his character’s dilemmas in The Summer I Turned Pretty series.
Based on the bestselling book trilogy by Jenny Han, the Prime Video series follows Belly (Lola Tung), who spends summers at Cousins Beach and finds herself torn between brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno).
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“Everyone knows the struggle of having to pick between two options,” Briney told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “The You Pick Two menu at Panera makes it easy to have both of your favorites, no debating necessary.”
Briney’s on-screen brother Casalegno just starred in his own commercial. On July 29, a new Dunkin’video shows the 25-year-old sitting poolside, letting viewers know he can’t help being hailed as the “King of Summer.” The spot also highlights the chain’s new Golden Hour Refresher.
Read the original article on People
