2009 Year in Review: Hottest ads and promos

ADS

Domino’s began the year with two effective and timely TV commercials starring its chief executive, David Brandon. In his screen debut, Brandon burned a cease-and-desist letter from competitor Subway, who formally requested that Domino’s stop referring to a taste test between Subway’s foot-long sandwiches and the pizza chain’s new Oven Baked Subs. In a second TV spot, Brandon took to the streets of Washington, D.C., and Wall Street to protest on behalf of Main Street the government bailouts of the financial industry. His soft-pedaled mock outrage was used to promote the Big Taste Bailout.

Brandon was not the only chief executive to star in a restaurant commercial. CKE Restaurants chief Andrew Puzder acted in a spot called, “Nothing,” in which he calmly tells an employee that the company wouldn’t need to respond to McDonald’s introduction of the Angus Third Pounder line of burgers meant to compete with the Six Dollar Burger at Carl’s Jr. and the Thick-burger at Hardee’s .The company had a few other combative TV spots this past year that pointed out differences with its products and those of McDonald’s or Wendy’s. It also kept producing racy commercials of burgers being consumed by attractive female celebs like Padma Lakshmi and Audrina Partridge.

Steve Carley, president and chief executive of El Pollo Loco, also assumed the role of light-hearted attack dog, acting in a commercial in which his Southern California-based chain, famous for its grilled chicken, pointed out that competitor KFC’s grilled-chicken product used a marinade that contained small amounts of rendered beef fat. Carley’s TV spot featured him in a cow pasture. El Pollo Loco also launched the complementary microsite www.beefychicken.com.

Some industry observers speculated that Caribou Coffee ’s first-ever television commercial was a dig at Starbucks, because the two characters in the commercial, a couple of insufferable yuppies played by marionette puppets, were drinking coffee from another chain while a real person drank a Caribou mocha. However, officials maintained that the puppets didn’t represent Starbucks customers and that the commercial was a humorous way to show that Caribou’s hot chocolate and mocha drinks, made with real Guittard chocolate, were authentic.

Authenticity was key to another first-ever TV spot, the 30-second commercial Culver’s debuted during the pre-show for the Academy Awards, which one chain marketing official dubbed “the Super Bowl for women.” The main character of the commercial, a conspiracy theorist, can’t believe the polite, friendly service he encounters at a Culver’s is genuine.

Even less believable is the talking toaster oven that starred in Quiznos’ suggestive ads for the $4 Toasty Torpedo, a foot-long sub aimed directly at Subway’s market dominance from its $5 foot-longs. The oven, whose deep voice implores a young, impressionable cook to “put it [the sandwich] in me,” drew some criticism from customers and advertising watch-dogs. But Quiznos officials defended the creative as relatively benign, because, after all, toasters can’t talk. Quiznos also introduced a $3 Toasty Bullet sandwich to further diversify its menu and pricing.

Taco Bell showed that the big screen could be just as effective for advertising a deal. The quick-service Mexican chain broadcast its “Roosevelts” commercial in movie theaters before the previews rolled, providing a captive audience for a 60-second piece of creative. The commercial, a music video spoof in which rappers show off their abundance of dimes that makes them high rollers with the chain’s “Why Pay More” value menu, also played prominently during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

PROMOS

Not surprisingly, many promotions in the restaurant industry this year reflected the ongoing news of recession and economic recovery. Independent restaurants everywhere marketed their own “bailouts” and “stimulus packages” of deals on food or drinks. One bar in Los Angeles cleverly sold a drink in a half-empty martini glass and called it “Your 401(k).”

But one recession-theme promotion that stood out came from Mike Jacobs, a Beef ‘O’ Brady’s franchisee in Sunrise, Fla., who started “Pink Slip Paybacks” in January. Jacobs’ restaurant offered a free meal to people who had just been laid off, provided they show a letter of termination. The Beef ‘O’ Brady’s location also hosted job networking nights and let people look for work on its free Wi-Fi.

Krystal debuted a new kind of online promotion with its Krystal Giveaway Show, a live webcast show where customers and fans could answer trivia questions on Face-book or Twitter in real time to qualify for Krystal coupons and merchandise.

Giveaways were a popular promotion during 2009, as were buy-one-get-one offers and kids-eat-free deals. Boston Market differentiated its kids-eat-free deal from the many other such offers by providing two free kids’ meals with the purchase of an adult entrée, which chief executive Lane Cardwell said allowed more people to be able to take advantage of the promotion. The offer, which opened up a kids-eat-free deal to single-parent families and families with more than two children, was available seven days a week.

While Subway had made hay for a long time with its $5 foot-long subs, casual-dining and upscale-casual brands also began to engineer deals around that price point. As part of its systemwide menu revamp, Ruby Tuesday marketed a $5 cocktail program, including not only the chain’s signature cocktails, but also well liquor drinks. The alcohol used for the well cocktails included upscale brands like Bacardi, Beefeater and Jim Beam.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar came close to that magic price point but still expanded its bar business with the “5 for $6 till 7” promotion, which offered five cocktails, wines by the glass and appetizers at the bar for $6 every night until 7 p.m.

Papa John’s didn’t let a recession stop it from celebrating its 25th anniversary. In addition to franchise development incentives—which included waiving the franchise fee and reducing royalties to new franchised locations—the chain embarked on the “Papa’s in the House” promotion, starring founder and chief executive John Schnatter. The chain executive and spokesman went on a 10-city road trip in a replica of the 1972 Z28 Camaro he sold 25 years ago to start the company, handing out pizzas and building awareness for his search for the original Camaro. When the car was discovered in Kentucky, Papa John’s paid a finder’s fee of $250,000.

While its prices generally were higher than the value-focused deals and discounts of its quick-service competitors, Burgerville’s ongoing seasonal limited-time offer produced healthy gains in sales and guest counts, officials of the burger chain said. Each month, 39-unit Burgerville would sell an LTO entrée and dessert featuring a local ingredient that was in season. In December, the chain showcased local Oregon hazel-nuts and D’Anjou pears in the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Pear Chutney, the Oregon D’Anjou Pear Side Salad, and the Chocolate Hazelnut Milk Shake.