CHILI’S: Rebuilding a brand.
In 2017, Chili’s was lost in the ‘sea of sameness’ that many casual dining restuarants faced. They wanted bolder work that separated them from the category. Since becoming GCD on the account in 2018, we’ve developed a new brand DNA, launched breakthrough broadcast for the category, and acquired all of their social media business. As a result, sales and traffic increased significantly. In August 2019, Chili’s saw their highest traffic in 20 years.
BRAND DNA PROJECT
Rebuilding a brand starts from the inside out. So a few of us went to work at Chili’s ahead of this project. Getting to know the people, food and culture was instrumental in developing this work. It also led to the creation of their new tagline “Together We Chili’s.”
{CREDITS: Marian Williams; Design Director, Sam Baliga; Designer}
BRAND DNA BROADCAST
Next, we applied the Brand DNA to broadcast. But the age old question prevailed: should we promote food or the brand? We said both, and sacrificed nothing. The food and drinks are craveable, and the brand voice always shines through.
BRAND DNA IN CULTURE
Finally, we applied the DNA to their restaurant decor and corporate HQ further ensuring a consistent brand voice from the inside out.
HI! WELCOME TO! CAMPAIGN
In 2019, Chili’s partnered with DoorDash to introduce delivery. Our “Hi! Welcome To" campaign was our first fully integrated effort since becoming their social AOR. We created broadcast, OLV, radio, paid social, and a ‘Chili’s My House’ promotion featuring Bryan Patrick Flynn of HGTV. The campaign resulted in a 48% increase of off-premise sales at the end of 2019.
BROADCAST
PAID SOCIAL
PROMOTION
{CREDITS: Sarah Uchison; CW, Emily Walton; AD}
MARGARITA SOCIAL CONTENT SERIES
In 2020, we created a social content series promoting Chili’s $5 Margarita Of The Month. Because each margarita is hand-crafted, so is the content that supports it. We found 12 influential IG artists who will be creating unique posts for each margarita this year.
