Quiznos selects new marketing agencyQuiznos selects new marketing agency

Alan J. Liddle

DENVER Quiznos has named WongDoody its new marketing agency and launched commercials for a $5 Choose 2 Menu.

WongDoody takes on a more formal role at Denver-based Quiznos, which has more than 4,500 restaurants, most of which are franchised. During the past year, Quiznos has engaged a number of creative firms on a project basis, including Siltanen & Partners of El Segundo, Calif., and Nitro of New York. Previously Quiznos has used as agencies New York’s Cliff Freeman & Partners and Ogilvy Chicago, among others.

For its initial effort on behalf of Quiznos, WongDoody unveiled two 15-second TV spots tied to the Choose 2 menu.

The limited-time Choose 2 offer at participating Quiznos restaurants lets customers select a pair of items from a list that includes Toasty Bullet and Flatbread Sammies sandwiches, small chopped salads and bowls of soup. The deal matches the pricing of larger rival Subway’s long-lived “$5 Footlong” campaign, and may move value seekers up from Quiznos' $3 Toasty Bullet or $4 Toasty Torpedo options.

“Quiznos has a legacy of creative and innovative branding. It’s a legacy our franchise owners invested in, an identity that resonates with our customers, and it has, in many ways, set the standard for creative advertising in our space,” said Greg MacDonald, Quiznos' president. “WongDoody’s creativity and flexibility consistently impressed us throughout the review process and we look forward to continuing this legacy of creativity in what we’re sure will be a very successful partnership.”

WongDoody, an independently owned full-service agency with offices in Seattle and Los Angeles, has worked with Alaska Airlines, the Harlem Globetrotters and T-Mobile, among others. It is charged with a broad range of duties for Quiznos, including television, radio, print and out-of-home advertising, as well as interactive and social media work.

Officials at WongDoody said the agency’s integrated creative work will highlight Quiznos’ “quality, chef-inspired tastes and unparalleled consumer value and convenience, while underscoring Quiznos’ creative and innovative brand history.”

AQuiznos representative said Pohmedia will continue to oversee media strategy and planning for the chain, while Horizin Media continues to handle media buying. The restaurant company began using the services of those groups in May 2009.

Quiznos declined to disclose annual advertising expenditures. However, a recent AdWeek report indicated that the chain has spent $80 million to $90 million annually in measured, major media in recent years, but saw that spending drop to about $50 million during the first 11 months of 2009, according to information from Nielsen.

Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected].