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Mellow Mushroom’s new promotion is a work of artMellow Mushroom’s new promotion is a work of art

From gnomes to Zoom backgrounds, sweepstakes highlights full-service restaurant’s new online ordering system

Ron Ruggless, Senior Editor

October 27, 2020

2 Min Read
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Mellow Mushroom unveiled its most recent promotion Monday, and it’s a work of art.

In fact, the full-service brand’s campaign is thousands of works of art, including artist-produced animated Zoom backgrounds, clothing patches, pins and T-shirts to 10 custom artist-produced garden gnomes. Altogether 13 artists, some from as far away as Australia, produced 5,800 pieces.

Anne Mejia, vice president of brand development for Mellow Mushroom’s parent company, Atlanta-based Home Grown Industries of Georgia, said the Art of Mellow sweepstakes promotion, which started Monday, runs through Jan. 3 and fits into the brand’s positioning.

“We like to say with this campaign that there’s art with every order,” Mejia said. The sweepstakes will be promoted in new spaces for the brand, including Pinterest, and broader use of YouTube, she said, as well as Facebook and Instagram.

“Creativity, design and art have always been part of the Mellow Mushroom dining experience,” Mejia said, and the new promotion helps customers create that experience away from the restaurants.

“Not only does this new campaign celebrate global artists, but it brings Mellow Mushroom out of the stores and into customers’ phones to be a part of their everyday lives,” Mejia said in a statement. “With more people dining at home right now, we want to bring the complete Mellow experience to our guests wherever they are.”

The Art of Mellow sweepstakes helps Mellow Mushroom promote its recent launch a new online ordering website and online ordering system from Olo.

Mellow_Mushroom_Anne_Mejia.jpgThe company said the new Olo system uses more visual displays and showcases the core Mellow Mushroom menu of salads, pizzas, hoagies and desserts as well as its “art-centric restaurant design.”

The previous online ordering took a minimum of 16 keystrokes, the company noted, and the new platform lets guests complete an order in as few as four keystrokes.

At check out from online ordering, “everyone will be prompted to enter into the contest” and they will be notified by text, Mejia said. They also get a free piece of digital art in that

“If someone is unable to enter, they can always send us a post card,” she said. Some of the art is displayed at a micro-website, the ArtOfMellow.com

Besides Zoom backgrounds, digital gifts include Instagram and Snapchat filters and wallpapers. The art prizes are randomly awarded, and participants can enter up to 12 times during the sweepstakes period.

The creative agency Fitzco developed the campaign for Mellow Mushroom.

Mellow Mushroom, founded in Atlanta in 1974, has 128 restaurants in 21 states.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]

Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless

About the Author

Ron Ruggless

Senior Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News / Restaurant Hospitality

Ron Ruggless serves as a senior editor for Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN.com) and Restaurant Hospitality (Restaurant-Hospitality.com) online and print platforms. He joined NRN in 1992 after working 10 years in various roles at the Dallas Times Herald newspaper, including restaurant critic, assistant business editor, food editor and lifestyle editor. He also edited several printings of the Zagat Dining Guide for Dallas-Fort Worth, and his articles and photographs have appeared in Food & Wine, Food Network and Self magazines. 

Ron Ruggless’ areas of expertise include foodservice mergers, acquisitions, operations, supply chain, research and development and marketing. 

Ron Ruggless is a frequent moderator and panelist at industry events ranging from the Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) conference to RestaurantSpaces, the Council of Hospitality and Restaurant Trainers, the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group, local restaurant associations and the Horeca Professional Expo in Madrid, Spain.

Ron Ruggless’ experience:

Regional and Senior Editor, Informa Connect’s Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality (1992 to present)

Features Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1989-1991)

Restaurant Critic and Food Editor – Dallas Times Herald (1987-1988)

Editing Roles – Dallas Times Herald (1982-1987)

Editing Roles – Charlotte (N.C.) Observer (1980-1982)

Editing Roles – Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald (1978-1980)

Email: [email protected]

Social media:

Twitter@RonRuggless

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronruggless

Instagram: @RonRuggless

TikTok: @RonRuggless

 

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