COLUMBUS Ohio White Castle said it has tapped Zimmerman Advertising of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to be its new ad agency as the 88-year burger brand seeks to evolve and attract "a new generation" of customers.
Zimmerman, part of the Omnicom Group, replaces JWT and Mindshare, which had worked with White Castle for 15 years. The White Castle account is valued at $20 million.
Kim Bartley, White Castle’s executive vice president of marketing, said the company was looking to take the brand known for its "Slyder" mini burgers in a new direction. “We thought that Zimmerman could give us good support,” she said.
The switch comes as the more than 400-unit White Castle faces increased competition from other fast-food burger chains that have introduced their own sliders. Among them is Burger King, which recently rolled out its BK Burger Shots and a line of mini breakfast sandwiches called BK Breakfast Shots. Hardee's last fall introduced the Little Thickburger, a smaller version of its popular Thickburger sandwich line, and Jack in the Box is planning to debut Mini Sirloin Burgers this month.
Zimmerman's first promotion for White Castle – a sample sack of any three cheeseburgers for $2 with the purchase of a drink or a side – is designed to grab new customers.
“It’s a great opportunity to introduce the [White Castle] taste to a lot of people who have yet to try it,” said Michael Goldberg, Zimmerman’s chief marketing officer.
Bartley of White Castle said Zimmerman also was working on the creative for a new product the chain is planning to launch in the coming weeks.
According to the agency's website, Zimmerman's other restaurant clients include Friendly's and Papa John's Pizza.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].