Food brands are beginning to think outside the box when it comes to promotional campaigns and the way in which they target young people. They now understand that a simple shot of a family eating and enjoying the product will no longer do, says Lara Piras, consultant at research firm Voxburner.
To keep up with their competitors, the likes of Birds Eye to Chipotle are catching the eye of existing and even new young consumers with innovative, daring and thoughtful ideas. Here we pick five of the best out there at the moment:
Birds Eye
Birds Eye is currently hosting a pop-up restaurant at The Picture House in Soho, London. The twist lies in the fact that the frozen food brand are offering visitors the option to pay for their meal by simply uploading and sharing a shot of their food to Instagram with the hashtag #BirdsEyeInspirations. The campaign idea was inspired by the current #foodporn craze, where millions of users worldwide post their favoured lunches and dinners to their envious followers with the aptly named hashtag. This trend has enabled Instagram users to become unofficial brand advocates for restaurants and food companies worldwide so it’s therefore imperative for brands to serve up something that’s worthy of a #foodporn upload.
Chipotle
For its latest campaign, Mexican fast food chain Chipotle is going down an unexpected artistic route. The brand have launched a new project named Cultivating Thought Author Series that features original works written by famous writers, influential thought leaders, actors and comedians on the restaurant’s packaging. They’ve also commissioned several artists to design illustrations to accompany each of the written pieces, which will be featured in a Chipotle bag or cup. The campaign was intended to inspire the Chipotle consumer and educate them on some of today’s most influential and creative personalities. It is also a clever way to keep consumers entertained and in store for longer so they will be more likely to spend more money there.
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut has teamed up with online video service Hulu to create three types of ad innovations, one of which includes the ability to let the viewer order food from the pizza chain during ad breaks, without having to leave the current screen they’re watching. It’s the ultimate in lazy consumer syndrome, however having this kind of convenience is sure to win over the hearts of many a teenage boy. The brands have named this kind of innovation an ‘in-stream purchase unit’ enabling huge benefits for both parties involved including targeting preferred markets at the right time and of course making a profit without the need to create a time-consuming, costly initial advert in the typical way.
Tramontina
Moving into the more luxurious market, just in time for summer, cookware and homeware specialists Tramontina and international ad agency JWT Brazil have joined forces on a genius new campaign. They have created the ‘Bible of the Barbecue,’ which you may have heard of before but this is so much more than a recipe list. The pages, filled with written handy tips, physically transform into all the tools the consumer would need to create the perfect barbecue, such as salt, coal, fire starters, a knife-sharpener, a serving tray and even an apron. It’s a perfect way for Tramontina to create a little hype, a conversation starter perhaps, and to communicate that they’re one of the leading homeware experts in the world.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is forever trying to prove to the world that their morals are good. This campaign is no different, however the idea is original and encourages the consumer to believe what they set out to do with each of their promotional moments. In the UK this month, through a partnership with the National Literacy Trust the brand are replacing their iconic (heavily branded) toys that they put into their kids’ Happy Meals with free downloads of eBooks including Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven. This campaign will brilliantly turn the fast food marvel into the largest book distributor in the UK. Impressive.
