With a run of successful LTOs under its belt buckle, Texas DQ was eager to build on that momentum and go where no QSR has gone before — with the Carolina Reaper Taco. To capitalize on the social buzz around the Carolina Reaper pepper’s intense heat, Texas DQ needed a bold marketing message that would hook spice-loving Texans and drive trial. With just three months to plan a product launch, LOOMIS got to work.
Research told us that people who love spicy food are “sensation seeking,” and more likely to take risks for the potential of reward. Put another way, they’re in it for the experience or thrill. And we had just what they were looking for.
We Texans have a passion for hot and spicy foods, for offering up our opinions, and for colorful exaggerations — like legendary Texas tall tales. The big, bold flavor delivered by Carolina Reaper Tacos is the ultimate thrill-seeker’s dream, so we leaned all in with a campaign that reveres that “legendary heat.”
The campaign brought to life the way Texans’ imaginations might get carried away when pondering how DQ added such a bold, fiery kick to their Texas T-Brand Tacos. And then the possibilities took on a life of their own.
The :30 spots feature a variety of customers inside a DQ restaurant as they enjoy the new Carolina Reaper Tacos. Each customer comes up with a different “tall tale” to explain how these tacos got so hot—each story wilder than the last.
Targeting local “heat seekers,” we hosted an exclusive taste-test event at DQ where the first 100 fans could try the new Carolina Reaper Tacos before anyone else. We filmed their instant reactions to the tacos and leveraged the content to drive product buzz and online engagement through a social giveaway.
Understanding the importance of word of mouth for LTO success, we enlisted content creators with an affinity for DQ to help bring awareness to these new, one-of-a-kind tacos.
Despite only a few months of go-to-market planning, the campaign helped spark sizzling results, making this one of Texas DQ’s hottest promotions of all time. With assistance from bold TV creative and millions of unique impressions earned through social and PR efforts, the promotion helped restaurants increase new guest traffic significantly over the average new guest rate while also increasing overall guest frequency. The product positively impacted sales with additional visits and increased check without cannibalizing other products. Instead, it lifted sales of Texas DQ’s entire taco category. Clearly, Texas DQ’s Carolina Reaper Tacos lived up to the legend.
— Lou Romanus, CEO, Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Production Company: Camp Lucky
Director: Adam Littke
Executive Producer: Brandon Tapp
Producer: Emily Askew
Agency Producer: Chelsea Sevadjian
Editor: Tim Bird
Colorist: Steve Franko
Sound Design: Republic
Music: Luminous Sound
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