A franchisee jumped the gun in launching an sometimes irreverent ad campaign and website that franchisor Applebee’s says does not match where it wants to go.

The tongue-in-cheek “Life Is Better Shared” campaign, created for Lexington, Ky.-based franchisee group Thomas & King, drew on Applebee’s corporate’s “Girls’ Night Out” slogan. But Applebee’s corporate was quick to clarify that the work was not part of its systemwide branding. “The online campaign was produced independently by one of our franchisees and its local agency, and we are currently working with them to revise the work to reflect our brand standards and voice,” Applebee’s spokeswoman Nancy Mays said in a statement. [from Nation’s Restaurant News]

The franchisor is currently working with Thomas & King, a franchisee of 88 restaurants, to modify the ad.