Take a look at the commercials that made an impact this year, from pizza slinger Papa John's to family-dining chain Denny's.

Papa John’s owns the premium price point. Pizza players found that 2011 marked another year of aggressive, constant advertising, with the three biggest chains competing chiefly on price. Pizza Hut reprised its popular $10 any-size-pizza deal, while Domino’s Pizza’s commercials undercut that price point to the tune of two medium, two-topping pizzas for $5.99 each. But Papa John’s commercials promoting its specialty pies — like the Double Layered Premium Pepperoni — offered at the premium price of $11 helped the chain reinforce its high-quality positioning and drive a 6.1-percent gain in third-quarter same-store sales. “Our goal is to always get the right price point for our quality product that we believe we deserve,” chief marketing officer Andrew Varga said.

Watch Papa John's commercial for its Double Layered Premium Pepperoni; story continues below

The King is dethroned. In the wake of a long sales slump and a going-private buyout from 3G Capital, Burger King parted ways with ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky and polarizing mascot The King. The first commercials to follow from new agency mcgarrybowen broke in August and promoted the California Whopper. Burger King’s advertising has taken a quality-focused tack ever since, to promote its rapidly expanding menu, and officials are bullish on early results of the new burgers and new commercials.

Watch Burger King's commercial for its California Whopper; story continues on next page