Shake Shack normally promotes its brand with limited-time offers or other food-and-beverage marketing efforts, but the fast-casual chain launched its first branding campaign in Seattle on Monday.
With the tagline “For What It’s Worth,” the promotion highlights real-life comments from fans and will be tested in Seattle through Dec. 11, possibly expanding to other markets next year, the restaurant chain said.
New York City-based Shake Shack hired Austin, Texas-based ad agency Preacher to develop the campaign, and Preacher hired New York-based Nicolas Heller to direct the 6-second, 15-second and 30-second ads.
Shake Shack also will be posting billboards and other out-of-home ads throughout Seattle, it said.
“We wanted to leverage our own guests’ comments to put into words the often ‘indescribable’ experience of Shake Shack — a perfect blending of delicious food, great ingredients and feel-good vibe that creates a little magic,” Michael McGarry, Vice president of brand at Shake Shack, said in a statement.
The comments highlighted in the commercials include “Shake Shack is a different breed of good,” “WTF you putting in this food to make me behave this way?” and “I work here and I still eat the chicken bites all the time.” It also shows a man who took his friend to Shake Shack after his girlfriend broke up with him.
Preacher creative director Marcus Brown explained the meaning of the “For what it’s worth” theme.
“People have a fierce love for Shake Shack and they’re not shy about it online. You can feel their comments and posts coming from a very genuine, insightful place. So let’s tap directly into it, let them speak for themselves and have loads of fun dramatizing their words,“ he said. “The campaign was designed to humbly say hey, WE’RE not going to toot our own horn, but FWIW, this is the crazy affection people feel for Shake Shack in real life, so maybe give us a shot.”
There are currently more than 400 Shake Shack locations in 32 states and Washington, D.C., as well as more than 100 locations overseas.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]