Top 5 restaurant marketing campaigns of 2012

KFC grows up, Olive Garden eyes younger market

Previous: Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme

KFC ‘grows up’

The launch of KFC’s snack-sized Original Recipe Bites incorporated a little bit of everything: an on-trend menu item sold in an aggressive meal deal for $3.99, humorous commercials, a branded entertainment Web series, and a “Free Rent for a Year” sweepstakes. The theme of Millennials struggling to gain financial independence and moving back in with their parents tied together TV spots for the menu item and the “Growing Up and Getting Out” series of five webisodes. The immature Millennial of the commercials convinces his landlord parents that Original Recipe Bites are more grown up than chicken nuggets, while the protagonist of the Web series seeks to move out of his folks’ house once again.

 

Olive Garden’s twofer

Hoping to build some momentum behind a return to same-store sales growth, Olive Garden introduced the “Go Olive Garden” campaign with several menu updates in October, including lower-calorie options and the aggressive value offer, “Dinner Today & Tomorrow” for $12.95. The deal enabled customers to order two dinners, with one served at the table and the other wrapped up to take home, similar to the popular “Classic Pastas” two-for-one deal at Maggiano’s Little Italy. The focus on healthful dishes and value marked a departure from Olive Garden’s longstanding “When you’re here, you’re family” positioning toward a play for a younger core guest.

Contact Mark Brandau at mark.brandau@penton.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN